Sara Murray reported last week at The Real Time Economics Blog (Wall Street Journal) that, “Nearly a year and a half into the economic recovery, some 43.6 million Americans continued to rely on food stamps in November.

“More than 14% of the population drew food stamps in November to purchase groceries as high unemployment and muted wage growth crimped budgets. The number of recipients was up 0.9% from October, according to the new report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Compared to a year ago, the number of people receiving food stamps was up 14.2%.”

Jerry Hagstrom reported on Friday at DTN (link requires subscription) that, “Senate Agriculture ranking member Pat Roberts, R-Kan., said Thursday that food stamps should be on the table along with farm subsidies in federal budget deficit reduction, but a key American Farm Bureau Federation lobbyist said it is unlikely Congress will make a substantial cut in a program that is feeding 43 million people during a recession.

“In a telephone call to the annual meeting of the Crop Insurance Research Bureau here [Indian Wells, Calif], Roberts noted that the presidential debt commission report, which proposed cuts to many programs, including farm subsidies, did not recommend cutting nutrition programs.

“‘They are picking what they call farm subsidies rather than look at the total agriculture budget,’ Roberts said. Asked if his comment meant that food stamps – now officially called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP – and other nutrition programs should be included, he said ‘we have to look at the entire budget in terms of whatever percentage Congress agrees should be cut.'”

The DTN article noted that, “American Farm Bureau Federation lobbyist Mary Kay Thatcher said in a separate presentation here that she doubts Congress will cut much from nutrition programs.

“‘You can look at those nutrition programs and say that’s where you need to get the money, but you have a couple of problems,’ she said, noting that these programs make up 75 percent of the USDA budget. Anti-hunger advocates are going to remind the public that unemployment remains at more than 9 percent, Thatcher said, and that 43 million people – one in seven Americans – are on food stamps, and that one of every eight Americans is lining up at food banks.”

Philip Brasher reported on Friday at The Green Fields Blog (Des Moines Register) that, “GOP budget writers have not yet detailed where they plan to cut within departments, but if the Republicans go forward with a goal to roll spending back to 2008 levels, some of the largest cuts would be in food-safety programs at the USDA and the FDA and in a nutrition program for low-income women and children, said Ferd Hoefner, a policy analyst for the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. Farm operating loans also would be vulnerable, he said.

“The Women, Infants and Children nutrition program, commonly known as WIC, could be cut back to $6 billion, if it were rolled back to the 2008 level. It would get $7.3 billion this year if the spending level in an expiring spending measure were extended.”

On a separate issue regarding nutrition, Sheryl Gay Stolberg and William Neuman reported in today’s New York Times that, “After wrapping her arms around the retail giant Wal-Mart and trying to cajole food makers into producing nutrition labels that are easier to understand, Michelle Obama, the first lady and a healthy-eating advocate, has her sights set on a new target: the nation’s restaurants.

“A team of advisers to Mrs. Obama has been holding private talks over the past year with the National Restaurant Association, a trade group, in a bid to get restaurants to adopt her goals of smaller portions and children’s meals that include healthy offerings like carrots, apple slices and milk instead of French fries and soda, according to White House and industry officials.”