SNAP CRISIS DEEPENS: Inside America’s $120 billion food lifeline and how the federal shutdown could leave millions hungry

The world’s richest nation is on the brink of a hunger crisis. As the US federal government shutdown stretches into its second month, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) has warned that it will run out of funds to pay food benefits by 1 November, leaving 42 million Americans, one in eight, without monthly food assistance. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as “food stamps,” is America’s largest anti-hunger initiative. It provides monthly benefits to low-income households to buy groceries through Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards — debit-style cards accepted at supermarkets, local grocers, online retailers, and farmers’ markets. In 2024 the program supported over 42 million people and pumped more than $120 billion into the economy. Funded and