Changes to federal food assistance could cause thousands of Kansans to lose some or all of their benefits. The consequences for low-income families will depend now, more than ever, on state lawmakers. Plus: When you're shopping the produce section of a grocery store, you probably want to buy local — but that food probably traveled a long way to get there.

This summer, Congress passed a massive bill that lowers taxes and places new restrictions on Medicaid and SNAP. Federal food assistance helps feed almost 190,000 Kansans every year, and 40 million people nationwide. There are new limits on who is eligible for SNAP and how much of the cost the U.S. government covers. If low-income families lose benefits, they’ll rely more on food banks like Harvester’s. Zane Irwin of the Kansas News Service explains.

Stop at the produce section at your local grocery store and you’ll take a small trip around the world. Bananas from Ecuador and Costa Rica. Tomatoes, avocados and asparagus from Mexico. Bell peppers from Canada. That wasn’t always the case. In recent decades, U.S. consumers expanded their palates as favorable trade agreements led to a spike in imported goods. Now, the U.S. is on track for the largest agricultural trade deficit in the country’s history. Harvest Public Media's Molly Ashford reports.

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