Tariffs Are Undermining Parents Trying to Make Healthier Food Choices for Their Families

Going to the grocery store costs a lot more than it used to. Lettuce is up 32 percent. Tomatoes are up nearly 20 percent. Fresh vegetables overall have risen about 10 percent in the past year. For many families, this means choosing between what's healthy and what they can afford. 

Healthy Food Is Becoming a Luxury

We all want to feed our families better—more fresh fruits and vegetables, less processed food. But when healthy options cost so much more, many families simply can't make that choice. Kids still need to eat, so parents buy what fits their budget. Too often, that means reaching for cheaper processed foods instead of the fresh produce their families need.

Why Food Costs Keep Going Up

The biggest reason food costs more is tariffs on imported vegetables and food. Mexico supplies 69 percent of U.S. fresh vegetable imports, and aggressive tariffs on Mexican goods have driven up the cost of everything from tomatoes to asparagus. 

At the same time, American farms are facing their own crisis. California supplies roughly 75 percent of the country's fruits and nuts — and immigration enforcement has taken a serious toll on the labor force that makes that possible. A survey of more than 500 California farmers found that roughly one in four experienced negative impacts from enforcement operations, with 14 percent reducing production outright and 15 percent losing workers who were too fearful to return. Some farmers reported that the majority of their crews disappeared for months at a stretch, leaving crops unpicked in the fields. The produce that doesn't get harvested never reaches a grocery store — and the produce that does costs more because of the tighter supply.

Trade Policy vs. Family Health

When healthy food becomes too expensive, all our efforts to improve family nutrition and prevent disease become much harder. If we really want families to eat better, we need to make sure they can actually afford to do it.