IFPA applauds full funding of fruits and vegetables in WIC program

The International Fresh Produce Association commends the U.S. House for approving full funding for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), including a $1 billion increase for fiscal year 2024. 

An appropriations bill, part of a long-term federal spending package, now heads to the Senate.

“This bill is a huge victory for all the moms and families who depend on WIC and for all the hardworking members of our industry who support the fresh produce supply chain,” IFPA CEO Cathy Burns said in a news release.

“We have spent years fighting for WIC’s fruit and vegetable benefit, and we are heartened to see it maintained at its current level.”

Earlier proposals would have cut the fruit and vegetable benefits in the USDA’s WIC program by 70% for women and 56% for children, bringing monthly allotments down to $13 and $11, according to IFPA.

In January, the organization launched its largest-ever ad campaign urging its members to take action in support of the WIC fruit and vegetable benefit. In September 2023, during IFPA’s Washington Conference, produce industry members delivered hundreds of  baskets containing $11 worth of produce to congressional offices to illustrate the impact of the proposed cuts.

The produce industry faced an estimated loss of $1.2 billion in annual revenue with the proposed reduction of fruits and vegetables, according to IFPA.

“We are thankful to the advocates, industry partners and the members of Congress who stood firm in protecting the fruit and vegetable benefit in WIC,” Burns said.

“The reality is that these essential benefits should not be put in jeopardy today or ever.”