The Farm Bill Can Impact Cardiovascular Health

The U.S. House Committee on Agriculture has been discussing a farm bill over the past few days– and these conversations will be important for cardiovascular health. The farm bill is a comprehensive piece of legislation that addresses agriculture and nutrition policy in the United States. More than 80% of the funding in the farm bill is projected to support important nutrition programs that help make healthy foods accessible for millions of children, older adults, people with disabilities and chronic conditions, and working families.

The farm bill is generally reauthorized every five years, but Congress has not passed a farm bill since 2018. Since then, lawmakers have relied on short-term extensions or continued funding to key programs. The food we eat has a profound impact on cardiovascular health, and access to nutritious food is critical in preventing heart disease and stroke. Yet, recent cuts to programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and SNAP Education (SNAP-Ed) have made healthy eating more difficult for many people.

Reauthorizing a farm bill is one of the most important opportunities Congress has to strengthen the health and well-being of people nationwide. These discussions could be the start of a process to improve access to nutritious foods, but both the U.S. House and Senate would need to come to an agreement to reauthorize the farm bill.

The American Heart Association urges lawmakers to put health first by passing a farm bill that elevates the needs of people across the country, restores cuts to SNAP and SNAP-Ed and rejects provisions that jeopardize access to nutritious .