Essay On Food Stamps

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) used Globally

Food stamps are used nationwide and people from all cultures benefit from it. From a global aspect, food stamps are viewed as ways “to buy foods in a direct way to get purchasing power to those targeted groups without the need to build or use a public distribution system. They can encourage dietary diversity as they are not linked to particular foods” (Josling, 2011). As in the United States, the purpose of SNAP is to assist low-poverty families receive adequate nutritional foods. In other counties such as Sri Lanka, food stamps were used only to purchase certain products such as rice, break, flour, and milk. It was also available to families whose household income a particular

Mexico also has food stamps for the citizen. The food stamps are used to only buy tortillas for the family. There are vouchers that could be used to substitute the tortillas for any food item. (2011, 7-9). Overall, the uses of food stamps are similar worldwide. They help aid food support to low-income families, primarily mothers. The differences in the other countries are the limitations on what can be bought with the food stamps. In the US there is no limit on what type of food being bought, however in other countries, only selected items can be bought. Mongolia experiences a food crisis in 2008 were food prices dramatically increased, citizen lost jobs, and people were forced to “eat cheaper, lower quality but higher calorie food, and to further reduce the quantity of food consumed, resulting in a less nutritious diet” (MacAuslan, & Attah, 2015, p4) . A pilot trail was established and the Food Stamps program was created which only allowed the poorest 5 percent of households to be a recipient of the program. In order to qualify, one must pass test about household size, age, work status, insurance status and characteristics. Citizens were given roughly $10.50 per month for each household; $7 for adults, $3.50 for children. The money was only spent on selected item from “a specified list of ten high protein foods and staples at specified shops

“Approximately over 40,000 people die daily due from lack of food. The vision would be to “eliminate hunger and malnutrition in the third world” (Peterson, 1991). The program would be supported by high income countries, allowing less developed and poor countries to received nutritious meals since food insecurities is problematic worldwide. In addition, the vision would also refresh the economy in rural and urban communities, and both developed and less developed countries (1991).

And this could be accomplished for about the same amount of money now being spent by the world 's high income nations on farm income support and foreign food aid programs. Food vendors in these countries would trade in the food stamps for domestic currency, they would also be allowed to exchange them for hard currency to pay for imported food. The food stamps themselves could be distributed through a variety of institutions such as religious institutions, health care facilities, schools, local units of government, or new institutions set up for the purpose (Peterson,