Project 2025 proposes substantial cuts to SNAP and WIC, which nutrition expert Pia Chaparro warns would harm already vulnerable populations facing food insecurity.
Project 2025, a detailed agenda proposed by conservative think tanks, calls for significant cuts to the U.S. nutrition safety net. The agenda particularly targets programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program. These programs, which serve millions of low-income families, children, and pregnant women, are essential to reducing food insecurity. The proposed cuts include stricter eligibility requirements, such as work mandates for recipients, and reducing support for school meal programs.
Pia Chaparro, public health nutritionist and professor in HSPOP, has been deeply involved in research aimed at improving food security and nutrition equity. Her work highlights how programs like SNAP and WIC address nutritional deficiencies caused by food insecurity among marginalized groups. Chaparro warns that cuts, like those proposed by Project 2025, would disproportionately harm communities already facing high rates of food insecurity and related health disparities. “These rules basically penalize people who are in need of food assistance for no economic gain,” said Chaparro. “Research shows that SNAP participation reduces food insecurity but does not act as a disincentive to work. Moreover, research shows that the work requirements don’t lead to increased employment.”
By investigating the links between poverty, nutrition, and health outcomes, Chaparro’s work emphasizes the need for maintaining robust safety nets like SNAP and WIC. Research shows that doing so promotes better health outcomes and reduces hunger nationwide. She and other experts argue that the policies outlined in the Project 2025 agenda would exacerbate food insecurity, deepening poverty and negatively impacting health and educational outcomes for vulnerable populations
For a more in-depth look at how Project 2025 aims to reshape federal nutrition programs and its potential impacts on vulnerable communities, check out the full article on Civil Eats. It provides a comprehensive analysis of the proposed cuts, their broader implications, and the ongoing debate around the future of food security in the U.S. You can read the original article below.