Kengo Tomatani, Courtesy of Community Food Share

Though harming farmers, Chinese tariffs have increased food supplies to struggling families

Tariffs on U.S. goods have skyrocketed in the past year as the Trump administration has engaged in an escalating trade war with China. According to the BBC, more than $110 billion of U.S. products are being hit with Chinese tariffs, ranging anywhere from 5-25%. While U.S. producers and consumers alike are made to adjust, there has been an unlikely beneficiary: U.S. food banks, including those in Boulder County.

A trade mitigation program through the USDA is buying U.S.-produced food that would normally be sold to China and distributing it to people in need through The Emergency Family Assistance Program (TEFAP).

“We’ve seen a pretty significant increase in the amount of food that we’re getting through the distribution,” says Stephanie Gausch, chief development officer at Weld Food Bank, which distributes TEFAP food throughout Weld, Larimer, Boulder and Broomfield counties. Compared to last fiscal year, there has been an increase of about 1.5 million pounds of food coming through Weld Food Bank as part of the TEFAP program, she says. Statewide, Colorado has received about 12.8 million pounds of additional food.

Read more here.