COST OF FOOD DISTRIBUTION PROGRAMS 

Data as of December 30, 2008

Nutrition

Food Dist.

Emergency

Services

on Indian

Charitable

Commodity

Food

Fiscal

Incentive

Reserv.

Institutions

Supplemental

Assistance

Total

Year

Prog. 1] 

2]

3]

Food 4]

5]

6]

   ----------------------------------Millions of Dollars----------------------------   

1969

--

223.9

25.4

1.0

--

250.3

1970

--

281.6

22.5

7.8

--

311.9

1971

--

308.4

24.5

12.8

--

345.7

1972

--

298.6

25.8

12.9

--

337.3

1973

--

241.2

27.4

13.3

--

281.9

1974

--

178.5

24.8

15.1

--

218.4

1975

1.8

39.1

20.3

17.3

--

78.5

1976

8.7

11.3

11.9

17.2

--

49.1

1977

18.9

11.1

17.6

14.3

--

61.9

1978

37.6

12.6

27.9

17.6

--

95.7

1979

57.8

20.6

54.2

17.4

--

150.0

1980

74.9

26.8

71.2

21.5

--

194.4

1981

93.7

37.1

78.3

27.8

--

236.9

1982

101.9

41.0

116.7

28.1

179.5

467.2

1983

119.8

43.6

153.8

41.5

998.2

1,356.9

1984

126.6

50.8

189.8

48.0

1,074.6

1,489.8

1985

133.7

59.9

170.3

48.4

1,026.2

1,439.2

1986

137.2

60.2

240.4

47.7

895.2

1,380.9

1987

139.3

63.4

158.1

55.6

895.0

1,313.0

1988

146.1

61.6

158.9

61.8

645.4

1,075.0

1989

144.4

63.3

135.6

72.3

301.2

718.2

1990

141.6

65.7

103.9

85.4

329.2

727.0

1991

140.5

64.5

93.1

92.7

298.7

691.3

1992

151.5

61.8

115.1

105.2

271.3

707.3

1993

152.9

62.8

91.1

112.6

270.8

693.8

1994

151.5

65.3

105.5

107.3

264.1

696.8

1995

147.5

66.0

64.0

99.1

134.8

513.7

1996

144.8

72.9

11.0

101.5

79.6

410.5

1997

145.1

73.5

6.3

100.4

191.8

518.2

1998

141.1

75.2

9.2

96.3

234.3

557.2

All data are subject to revision.

1] Formerly known as Nutrition Program for the Elderly.  Includes the value of commodities delivered to State warehouses and cash-in-lieu of commodities.    Beginning in FY 2001, grants are based on the proportion of total meals served the previous year by each State agency and Indian tribal organization.  In FY 2003, administration of the program was transferred to the Agency on Aging (Department of Health and Human Services); FNS' role was limited to providing commodities for State or Indian agencies which elect food distribution for a portion of their grant.

2] Includes the value of commodities distributed to participants, the Federal share of State administrative expenses, and other costs (e.g., storage and transportation, demo. projects, and food losses--FY 1996 onward).  Originally established to provide commodity assistance to needy families, the program was gradually replaced by the Food Stamp Program (FSP).  After FY 1975--when the  FSP attained nationwide coverage--it was limited to Indian reservations which preferred food distribution to food stamps, and to certain Pacific islands.  The latter were  gradually phased out from the late 1980's to the mid 1990's as the islands converted from U.S. territorial status to commonwealths.

3] Includes the value of surplus commodities delivered to State warehouses for distribution to charitable institutions and summer camps.

4] Includes the value of commodities distributed to participants, the Federal share of State administrative expenses, and other costs (e.g., storage and transportation, demo. projects, and food losses--FY 1996 onward).  CSF has two components--women, infants and children (a food distribution alternative to the WIC Program) and low-income elderly persons.  FY 2006 excludes supplemental disaster assistance provided to gulf states affected by Hurricane Katrina.

5] Includes the value of commodities delivered to State warehouses under The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP--all years) and the Soup Kitchens/Food Banks Program (FY 1989-96) which  provided benefits analogous to TEFAP under a separate appropriation.  Also includes the Federal share of State administrative expenses.

6] The total includes commodity disaster assistance.  It does not include commodity costs of Child Nutrition Programs.  Most disaster assistance is provided through SNAP and is included in SNAP benefit costs.  Also includes food distributed to the Bureau of Prisons, the Veterans Administration, and the SNAP Elderly Pilot Project.