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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced the termination of two key programs that provided over $1 billion in funding to local food banks and schools, a decision that has sparked criticism from food security advocates and Democratic leaders. The move is part of the Trump administration’s broader efforts to reduce federal spending, but critics argue that the cuts will negatively impact food access for millions of Americans.
The two programs Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program and Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program helped state, tribal, and territorial governments purchase and distribute food produced within their regions. The first program provided $500 million annually to food banks, while the latter allocated $660 million each year to purchase produce from local farms. USDA justified the cancellations by stating that the programs “no longer effectuate the goals of the agency.”
The decision comes at a time when food insecurity remains a major concern in the U.S. School meal programs have long been considered critical in ensuring children receive nutritious meals, particularly in low-income communities. “With research showing school meals are the healthiest meals Americans eat, Congress needs to invest in underfunded school meal programs rather than cut services critical to student achievement and health,” said Shannon Gleave, president of the School Nutrition Association (SNA).
GOP resolution
On Tuesday, the SNA lobbied against additional proposed cuts to school meal programs listed in House Republicans’ budget reconciliation package. The GOP resolution includes measures requiring income verification for every free and reduced-price school meal application, eliminating broad-based categorical eligibility that previously allowed families on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to qualify automatically. The package also raises the threshold for the Community Eligibility Provision, which allows schools to provide free meals to all students. Under the proposed changes, schools would need 60 percent of students to qualify individually, up from the current 25 percent a shift that SNA says would take free meals away from 12 million students.
Cause of proposals
“These proposals would cause millions of children to lose access to free school meals at a time when working families are struggling with rising food costs,” Gleave said. “Meanwhile, short-staffed school nutrition teams, striving to improve menus and expand scratch-cooking, would be saddled with time-consuming and costly paperwork created by new government inefficiencies.”
Democratic governors have also voiced opposition, warning that the cuts will have a significant impact on both students and local farmers. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker criticized the decision, stating, “Cutting funds for these programs is a slap in the face to Illinois farmers and the communities they feed.”
With concerns growing over rising food costs and potential food insecurity, advocates are calling on Congress to reinstate funding for these critical programs. Whether lawmakers will respond remains to be seen, but the USDA’s decision has already ignited a heated debate over the role of federal support in addressing food access and nutrition in American schools and communities.
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