Washington, D.C. – Today, the National Grocers Association (NGA), the trade association representing the independent supermarket industry, issued the following statement from NGA President & CEO Greg Ferrara:
“Today, for the first time since the program’s creation, Congress allowed funding to run out for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), limiting the ability for millions of low-income Americans to access the nutritious food needed to feed themselves and their families.
The current disruption to SNAP funding is likely to have far-reaching consequences for local grocers, their employees, and the communities they help feed.
Independent grocers are often the only source of fresh produce, dairy, and other nutritious essentials for millions of families, veterans, and seniors who rely on federal nutrition assistance to make ends meet. With SNAP fueling over 389,000 American jobs and creating over $20 billion in wages, the disruption to program funding may lead to reduced employee hours, perishable food losses, and declining sales for many community grocers across our nation.
Local grocers participate in SNAP because they believe that no American should go hungry and are committed to serving their neighbors and community members in need. NGA urges Congress to act swiftly to end the shutdown and restore funding for this essential food assistance program.”
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About the National Grocers Association
NGA is the national trade association representing the retail and wholesale community grocers that comprise the independent sector of the food distribution industry. An independent retailer is a privately owned or controlled food retail company operating a variety of formats. The independent grocery sector is accountable for about 1.2 percent of the nation’s overall economy and is responsible for generating more than $250 billion in sales, 1.1 million jobs, $39 billion in wages and $36 billion in taxes. NGA members include retail and wholesale grocers located in every congressional district across the country, as well as state grocers’ associations, manufacturers and service suppliers. For more information about NGA, visit www.nationalgrocers.org.
