NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Food stamps

The Food Stamp Program serves as the first line of defense against hunger. It enables low-income families to buy nutritious food with coupons and Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards. Food stamp recipients spend their benefits to buy eligible food in authorized retail food stores.

The Program is the cornerstone of the Federal food assistance programs, and provides crucial support to needy households and to those making the transition from welfare to work.

Results from FactBites:

Food Stamps - Wex (424 words)
	The Federal Food Stamp Act of 1964 (PDF) (http://www.fns.usda.gov/fsp/rules/Legislation/pdfs/act2.pdf) is the most significant food plan in the United States.
	Food stamps cannot be used to purchase nonfood items such as pet food, vitamins, and medicine.
	The Food Stamp program is not the only government aided food program, but it is the most significant.

Food stamps - definition of Food stamps in Encyclopedia (2732 words)
	Most food stamp benefits are now distributed using Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards but for most of its history the program has used paper vouchers of some kind.
	Among the official purposes of the Food Stamp Act of 1964 were strengthening the agricultural economy and providing improved levels of nutrition among low-income households; however, the practical purpose was to bring the pilot FSP under Congressional control and to enact the regulations into law.
	Food stamp participation began to increase in fiscal year 2001 and has continued to rise through the beginning of fiscal year 2003.

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