ELCA Action Alert: Strengthen Hunger Provisions in Farm Bill

Mar 5

Urge a bold, efficient Farm Bill which supports both hungry families and vital rural communities. Take action today!

The House Agriculture Committee passed a new Farm Bill on Mar. 5, 2026. The bill includes some welcome provisions, such as restoring farm-to-foodbank programs, offering policy stability to farmers, boosting nutrition incentives that directly support the communities our ministries serve, and reauthorizing key international food aid programs. But it falls short in critical areas that must be addressed before it is sent to the president’s desk.

At a time when houses of worship, food pantries, global partners and ELCA World Hunger affiliates report alarming new rates of food requests in our communities, Congress should not use this moment to codify cuts which advanced during the budget reconciliation process last year. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), for example, is now subject to imposed new work requirements, cost shifting to strapped state budgets, and elimination of benefits for refugees. The advancing Farm Bill also requires that at least 50 percent of Food for Peace aid, an international food assistance program authorized through the Farm Bill, be sourced from the United States and shipped on U.S. vessels. This will negatively impact how much funding is left for food aid programming in countries where it’s needed the most.

After years of temporary extensions, farmers and families need a bold, efficient Farm Bill that reflects our Lutheran commitment to promoting vitality to rural communities and hungry families. Read more on the ELCA Advocacy Blog.

Farm Bill Engagement by the ELCA

The Farm Bill, which guides much of U.S. agriculture, rural and food policy, is currently being debated in Congress. The ELCA urges Congress to pass a 2026 Farm Bill that promotes priorities consistent with our advocacy during 2023-24 Farm Bill reauthorization discussions:

food for hungry neighbors at home and abroad,
healthy rural and farming communities,
inclusion of people of all backgrounds,
care of creation to feed future generations

In a world of abundance, we strive for an end to hunger and poverty, and towards a just world where all are fed. Additionally, we are to work with each other and the environment to meet needs without causing undue burdens elsewhere. The Farm Bill is one of the most influential pieces of legislation affecting farmers, hunger and conservation in the United States and around the world.

ELCA social statements call for policies that provide adequate nutrition for all and create livelihood opportunities that are genuinely sustainable. We urge lawmakers to pass a 2026 Farm Bill that reflects these faith-based values.

Please contact your members of Congress today and urge them to strengthen hunger provisions in the Farm Bill.

THANK YOU for sharing your story and lifting your voice in advocacy!

CONTACT YOUR MEMBER OF CONGRESS

Find my members of Congress here.

Read the Action Alert in the ELCA Advocacy Action Center.

Arizona Congressional Delegation