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Food
Quick Hit
by Ellyn Fortino
3:26pm
Tue Jun 11

Report Reveals 1 In 5 Schools Considered 'High-Poverty'

About one in five public schools was classified as high-poverty in 2011, according to a new report from the National Center for Education Statistics.

In comparison, about one in eight schools was considered high-poverty in 2000. Schools are labeled high-poverty when 75 percent or more of the enrolled students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.

Over the past two decades, the percentage of school-age children living in poverty has also increased, according to the report, “The Condition of Education 2013." 

“If poverty is increasing, there should be an increase in support for education, and instead our education policies nationally and locally are going the opposite direction,” said Pauline Lipman, professor of educational policy studies and director of the Collaborative for Equity and Justice in Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

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PI Original
by Ellyn Fortino
5:26pm
Fri May 31

IL Anti-Hunger Advocates In A 'Mode Of Outrage' Over Cuts In The Farm Bill

Congress

Anti-hunger advocates in Illinois are warning the proposed cuts in the U.S. Farm Bill will cause great devastation to the more than 2 million individuals and families in the state who depend on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Progress Illinois takes a look closer at the issue. 

PI Original
by Ellyn Fortino
6:40pm
Tue Apr 30

CPS Lunchroom Workers Call For Healthier Food In Schools (VIDEO)

Education

About a dozen school lunchroom workers protested outside Chicago Public Schools’ headquarters today and called on the Board of Education to phase out its frozen food model and provide healthier meals for students. Progress Illinois was there for the rally.

PI Original
by Ashlee Rezin
3:54pm
Fri Apr 26

Genetically Engineered Food Must Be Labeled As Such, Argue Consumer Rights Advocates

Congress

The United States is one of the last remaining industrialized countries that does not mandate disclosure of genetically modified organisms (GMO) on food labels. But recent state and federal legislation reflects the rallying cry of food advocacy groups calling for the government to give consumers the right to know exactly what they are eating.

Quick Hit
by Ellyn Fortino
12:57pm
Tue Mar 19

How The Ryan Budget Would Impact Food Assistance For The Needy

More than 2 million low-income individuals in Illinois rely on the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for food aid, but the program could face a big setback under U.S. House Budget Committee Chairman U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan’s (R, WI-1) proposed budget released last week.

Ryan’s plan aims to block grant the flexible SNAP program, which has about 47 million participants.

Under the plan, the federal government would give pots of cash to states to run the program, leaving them to customize it to their recipients’ needs and determine eligibility requirements.  

“Like Medicaid, SNAP suffers from a flawed structure,” the budget plan says. “States receive more money if they enroll more people in the program — so their incentive is to get people onto the rolls. They have little incentive to help people get off the rolls and find work. In fact, these programs make it harder to become independent.”

That’s not the right approach, said Beverly Henry, associate professor of nutrition and dietetics at Northern Illinois University’s College of Health and Human Sciences.

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PI Original
by Steven Ross Johnson
2:14pm
Mon Jul 16, 2012
2 comments

Drought Could Have Economic & Political Impact (UPDATED)

Economy

As Illinois continues to linger in the midst of one of its worst droughts in more than two decades, its greatest impact might be felt in the price of food, as a substantial portion of the state’s corn crop could be jeopardized if conditions fail to improve.