Vermont Business Magazine As the United States Congress advances a budget reconciliation bill that would drastically cut funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid, advocates from Vermont Foodbank, Hunger Free Vermont, Vermont Retail and Grocers Association and Vermont Farmers Market Association have joined together to raise the alarm.
The organizations and community members will urge lawmakers to stand firm against proposals that would jeopardize food access for low-income families, and a key source of revenue for farms and food retailers, on April 30, observed as "SNAP Day of Action."
Proposed cuts at the federal level could mean shifting major costs to states in an unprecedented change to the program’s structure. Cost shifts of even 10% could require Vermont to cover $140 million between 2026 and 2034, a significant blow to an already-strained state budget.
Most states, including Vermont, would be unable to absorb these additional costs, forcing cuts to other state-funded programs or to SNAP — which is especially alarming at a time of deep economic uncertainty when SNAP is a vital tool for families and local economies navigating recessions.
"SNAP is a proven, cost-effective program that benefits people, farmers, businesses and our economy as a whole," Anore Horton, executive director at Hunger Free Vermont, said. "SNAP offers dignified access to groceries so incomes can stretch to cover other essentials, like housing and healthcare. At a time when food prices are rising every day, the proposals in Congress to cut SNAP simply can’t be justified."
In Vermont, 65,000 people receive SNAP to buy groceries each month. Of those who benefit, 85% are children, older adults or people with disabilities. SNAP is the nation’s most effective and efficient anti-hunger program; it increases food security, lifts children out of poverty and reduces health care costs. What advocates considered a modest increase in SNAP benefits in 2021 reduced the overall poverty rate by 4.7%.
One participant of 3SquaresVT, the state's name for SNAP, said it "Takes a lot of stress and pressure off our family each week. My husband and I both work and we have three young kids. Food is a huge part of our budget. 3SquaresVT gives us a little extra help where we really need it. We love to use it at our farmers market. It helps us eat healthier and buy local."
SNAP is also an important revenue source for more than 600 retailers across the state in Vermont, putting more than $12 million into the state’s economy each month, or about $155 million each year.
“With more than 600 retailers accepting SNAP benefits in Vermont, this program is a real source of revenue for the grocery sector. Federal cuts to benefits that help low-income households afford groceries means that fewer dollars are spent at our local retailers,” Ed Fox, president of Vermont Retail and Grocers Association, said. “In turn, local grocery operators have less revenue to sustain their businesses. Grocery margins are notoriously narrower than other retail sectors. A small change in revenue can mean job cuts and economic instability for these retailers that are the backbone of many of our small, rural communities.”
Burlington Farmers Market Director Georgie Rubens said, "Funding cuts to SNAP would harm Vermont’s grocers, retailers, and farmers. Not only is 3SquaresVT supporting our customers accessing a well-rounded diet, many of whom share their appreciation every week they're at the market, but it's also supporting our local businesses and neighbors - especially our farms. [SNAP] helps people eat, connect and also supports our environment; any reduction in the program would be a devastating loss.”
When SNAP benefits are reduced, the charitable food system must try to fill an impossible gap for neighbors. Charitable food organizations are already overwhelmed and stretched thin. Visits to Vermont food shelves, meal sites and direct food distribution events increased by 36% between March and August 2023, when a temporary pandemic-era boost to SNAP benefits ended, according to Vermont Foodbank.
"With federal food to food banks already declining, and instability rising, the Vermont Foodbank will be increasingly challenged to show up for our neighbors. We don't have the funding or facilities to double our distribution, and even if we did, we couldn't meet our neighbors' needs for the food they need, when and where they need it like SNAP does," John Sayles, CEO of Vermont Foodbank, said of potential cuts to federal food benefits.
Join advocates, farmers, grocers, SNAP participants and others across the Northeast to protect SNAP and the economic health of the area's food systems by visiting hungerfreevt.org/protect-snap.
About Hunger Free Vermont: Hunger Free Vermont is the statewide nonprofit organization that advocates and educates to bring a permanent end to hunger in Vermont through systemic change, universal strategies, and community collaboration. Since 1993, Hunger Free Vermont’s outreach programs have substantially enhanced Vermont’s nutrition safety net. We work to expand access to the federal programs that provide nutritious foods for school, childcare, summer and afterschool meals, and to expand access to 3SquaresVT (known nationally as SNAP), which provides healthy food for Vermonters at home. www.hungerfreevt.org
About the Vermont Foodbank: The Vermont Foodbank is the state’s largest hunger-relief organization, providing nutritious food through a network of more than 300 community partners – food shelves, meal sites, schools, hospitals, and housing sites. Vermont Foodbank and its network work together to ensure that everyone has the food they need and want. Last year, the Vermont Foodbank provided over 14 million pounds of food to people throughout Vermont. The Vermont Foodbank, a member of Feeding America, is nationally recognized as one of the most effective and efficient nonprofits and food banks in the nation. Learn more at www.vtfoodbank.org.
About the Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont: The Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont (NOFA-VT) promotes organic practices to build an economically viable, ecologically sound, and socially just Vermont agricultural system that benefits all living things. NOFA-VT was founded in Putney in 1971, making it one of the oldest organic farming associations in the United States. Today, NOFA-VT has about 1,600 members throughout the state. nofavt.org
About the Vermont Retail and Grocers Association: VRGA is an association of 300+ merchants and trade partners united to promote the sustainable growth of the industry through the educational, economic and public policy needs of its members. Together our association plays a critical role in enhancing our communities, shaping legislation, contributing to each member’s success, and improving our state’s economic vitality. vtrga.org
MONTPELIER, Vt. (April 28, 2025) — Vermont Foodbank
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