National Fisheries Institute joins WIC to strengthen seafood nutrition program

The National Fisheries Institute (NFI) has joined the National WIC Association (NWA) as a Non-Profit Organization/small business partner to advocate for and strengthen the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC.) 

“Seafood is a renowned superfood and anything we can do to ensure communities at nutritional risk have access to it is important,” said Lisa Wallenda Picard, NFI president and chief executive officer. “Affordable, shelf-stable staples like canned salmon are part of the program and provide a nutrient-rich protein that’s just about unmatched in the health department.” 

The WIC–federal grant program–is 50 years old and has been providing families access to healthy foods. 

In 2022, the U.S. Department of Agriculture proposed updates to align WIC packages with existing dietary guidelines that would expand access to seafood for nearly all program participants. According to a press release from the NFI, this is a step toward addressing “one of the most under-consumed foods in Americans’ diets” as nearly all Americans across all ages have seafood intakes below recommended amounts.  

“NFI members from Alaska to Georgia supply seafood to the program and are invested in seeing it thrive,” said Picard.