You may have heard about a new proposal for low-income Americans from Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. Dubbed “America’s Harvest Boxes,” these romanticized food boxes would replace half of a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, or food stamps) recipients’ monthly allotment with a box of government food.
They would receive the rest of their allotment in the form of a debit card. Currently, recipients receive 100 percent of their SNAP allotment on the debit card.
You may be thinking…this isn’t such a bad idea. Hang on.
In the rollout of the Harvest Box idea, Director of the Office of Management and Budget Mick Mulvaney compared the Harvest Boxes to “Blue Apron.” In case you’re incapable of dreaming up your own recipes or looking for new ones on Pinterest, Blue Apron is a high-end meal delivery service that provides you with exact measurements of ingredients and a recipe to follow. It’s not cheap.
Though Mulvaney referenced it (as many Washingtonians know exactly what it is—and probably subscribe), it did not strike the tone he intended.
This is where things reached the tipping point. Terrible press accounts, including scathing op-eds from across the country, were published. Using a lavish subscription service to sell the public on government food boxes? Come on.
At the annual National Anti-Hunger Policy Conference in Washington this week, about a thousand attendees booed and shouted at USDA officials touting the Harvest Boxes. Even 20 people walked out in protest, according to Politico.
This isn’t the first time USDA has tried this sort of food box service. Right now, low-income seniors can enroll in the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, which offers a box of shelf-stable food from a set list delivered by volunteers. The Washington Post recently wrote an unflattering story about the program. USDA says Harvest Boxes are modeled after these.
So, the real question is—do we actually see these coming to existence? I highly doubt it. It has caught too much bad press. It’s a bad idea. And lawmakers aren’t interested in it.
There are also far too many unanswered questions about prices, shipping, dietary restrictions and choice. Perdue’s first official action in office was to delay school meal regulations—which gave students more choice in their meals. Now, he’s doubling down on taking nutritional choices away from needy folks? You can’t make this up.
These days, food allergies are rampant. How would those be addressed? Also packages can be stolen from front porches.
USDA has also publicly toyed with the idea of partnering with the U.S. Postal Service. When is the last time you’ve shipped something at the post office? The rates are not cheap. Many are at a loss on how this is a good idea—not only nutritionally but also financially.
Editor’s note: Seymour Klierly writes Washington Whispers for the Journal from inside the Beltway.
