Biden-Harris National Strategy for Hunger, Nutrition and Health

In September 2022, in conjunction with the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, the Administration released a National Strategy identifying steps the government will take and catalyzing the public and private sectors to address the intersections between food, hunger, nutrition, and health.

The Meat Institute and its member companies participated in and attended the White House Conference:

  • First, the Meat Institute, through the Protein PACT, hosted a July 12, 2022 stakeholder session to provide input for the White House Conference with food security experts and partners across animal agriculture to highlight the critical role of meat in ending hunger:

    Dr. Craig Gundersen, Snee Family Endowed Chair at the Baylor University Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty (BCHP), emphasized:

    “America’s meatpackers and processors provide safe, affordable, nutritious, and culturally appropriate foods that are key to ensuring food security for Americans at all income levels. Federal nutrition assistance programs like SNAP have been successful in reducing hunger and should be protected and expanded, including to ensure the dignity and autonomy of SNAP participants to choose foods for themselves and their families.”

    Kuda Mako-Mushaninga, MPH, MS, RD, Vice President of Scientific Affairs for National Dairy Council commented:

    “People need food to survive, and they need nutrient-dense animal-source foods like dairy to thrive. Federal nutrition assistance, school meals and away-from-school meals programs, and other initiatives have an opportunity to expand access to dairy as a critical source of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals necessary for growth, development, and healthy aging.”

    Diane Sullivan, co-founder of Equitable Spaces concluded:

    “The 50 million Americans who have faced hunger are experts in navigating the inequities and lack of political will driving hunger. Their voices, experiences, and dignity must be at the center of solutions that put safe, affordable, culturally appropriate food on tables and finally end hunger in America.”

  • Second, the Meat Institute, through the Protein PACT committed to help measure and fill the “protein gap” by 2025. The Meat Institute has also formally designated food security as a non-competitive issue, which will facilitate industry-wide information sharing and implementation of best practices as the sector works with the White House and all stakeholders to end hunger.