Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP)
The Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) provides food to low-income pregnant and breastfeeding women, other new mothers up to one year postpartum, infants, children up to their sixth birthday, and elderly persons at least 60 years of age who meet income eligibility requirements. Food provided through the CSFP does not offer a complete diet; instead, CSFP food is intended to provide nutrients often lacking in the diets of the targeted recipients.
The CSFP is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). USDA purchases food and makes it available to states and Indian Tribal Organizations, along with funds for administrative costs. In turn, state agencies distribute food directly to qualifying individuals or to local non-profit organizations, such as food banks, for redistribution.
Helping Low-Income Families and Seniors
The CSFP was first designed to serve primarily low-income pregnant and postpartum women and their children. Today, the food assistance needs of this vulnerable population are increasingly met by the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). At the same time that WIC has expanded its outreach to low-income families with children, the senior population has grown, and currently over 90 percent of CSFP participants are older Americans. CSFP eligibility requirements for women and children are established at the state level, while nationwide, elderly people at or below 130 percent of the poverty level qualify for CSFP assistance.
CSFP benefits individuals, families, and communities in several important ways: For many recipients, food provided through CSFP serves as a critical supplement to the Food Stamp Program. Through the safety net of CSFP, vulnerable people who do not qualify for other food assistance programs can meet their special nutritional requirements. CSFP encourages the consumption of nutritious fruits and vegetables, dairy and peanut products, cereals, rice, meat, and poultry. In addition, government food purchases made under CSFP provide support to farms and ranches, which are often in communities in need of economic support to prevent hunger.
CSFP operates in 32 states and the District of Columbia, as well as on the Oglala Sioux Reservation (SD) and the Red Lake Reservation (MN). Unfortunately, CSFP does not always reach statewide in participating states, and caseload allotments often fall short of meeting the needs of eligible women, children, and seniors. Other states have been approved to join the program but are awaiting additional funding from Congress.
Challenges for the CSFP
Uncertain funding, rising food prices, and caseload limitations are all serious challenges for CSFP. For several years, this important program has faced the possibility of being eliminated from the federal budget altogether. Feeding America and other advocates have strongly opposed eliminating this program and have worked hard to educate lawmakers and the broader public about the importance of CSFP. In response, Congress has continued to fund the program, allocating $139.7 million for FY 2008 in an effort to prevent caseload cuts to the program. CSFP should continue to receive at least enough funding to maintain the current caseload level.
Because of budget constraints, CSFP has been unable to expand to additional states or increase the number of eligible people that it serves. This challenge creates particular concern for meeting the nutritional needs of low-income older Americans. It is the only USDA program now focused on serving needy seniors with inadequate diets, yet it does not operate in every state, and in the states where it is available, it is normally only available in certain limited geographic areas.
More Resources
For more information on the CSFP, please contact Eleanor Thompson, Director of Government Relations and Public Policy, at (312) 641-6706.
USDA Commodity Supplemental Food Program website