Adequacy of Nutrition Programs on Indian Reservations

GAO discussed the availability of food and the nutritional adequacy of the Department of Agriculture's (USDA) food assistance programs on Indian reservations. GAO found that: (1) there were indications of hunger among Food Stamp Program participants and nonparticipants on each reservation it visited; (2) the major causes of hunger included obstacles to application and qualification for food stamps, procedural requirements that influenced the size and delivery of benefits, poor physical access, and high food prices; (3) the food package lacked the nutritional variety needed for a healthy diet; (4) vegetables and fruits were consistently unavailable or inedible; and (5) nutrition education provided by the commodity program was limited and varied by reservation.