USDA Cuts Over $1 Billion in Funding for Local Food Banks and Schools, Sparking Outrage -

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March 11, Washington: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced the termination of two key programs that provided more than $1 billion in funding to support local food banks, schools, and farmers. The decision to cancel the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program and the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program has drawn sharp criticism from educators, nutrition advocates, and Democratic leaders, who argue that the move will harm vulnerable families and local agricultural economies.

The programs, which aimed to purchase and distribute locally grown produce to schools, child care facilities, and food banks, were designed to support state, tribal, and territorial governments in buying goods produced within their state or within 400 miles of the delivery destination. The Local Food for Schools program was set to allocate 660millionin2025, while the∗Local Food Purchase Assistance∗program would have provided 660 million in 2025, and the Local Food Purchase Assistance program would have provided 500 million this year to food banks.

In a statement to The Hill, the USDA defended the decision, stating that the programs “no longer effectuate the goals of the agency.” The move aligns with broader efforts by the Trump administration to reduce federal spending and streamline government operations. However, critics argue that the cuts will have far-reaching consequences for students, families, and farmers.

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Impact on School Meal Programs

The School Nutrition Association (SNA), a leading advocacy group, has strongly opposed the cuts, emphasizing the critical role school meals play in supporting student health and academic performance. SNA President Shannon Gleave highlighted that school meals are often the healthiest meals many American children consume.

“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,” Gleave said in a statement.

The SNA has also raised concerns about additional proposed cuts in the House Republicans’ budget reconciliation package. The GOP plan would require income verification for every free and reduced-price school meal application, eliminating automatic eligibility for families enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Additionally, it would raise the threshold for the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), which allows schools to provide free meals to all students, from 25% to 60% of students qualifying individually. The SNA estimates this change would strip free meals from 12 million students.

Broader Consequences

Democratic governors have joined the chorus of opposition, warning that the cuts will hurt both students and farmers. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker called the decision “a slap in the face to Illinois farmers and the communities they feed.”

Advocates also warn that the cuts will place additional burdens on school nutrition staff, who are already grappling with staffing shortages and rising food costs. Gleave noted that the proposed changes would force schools to navigate “time-consuming and costly paperwork,” further straining resources.

A Call for Action

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As the debate over federal spending continues, nutrition advocates are urging Congress to prioritize investments in school meal programs and support for local agriculture. With millions of families relying on these programs for access to nutritious food, the stakes are high.

“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”

The USDA’s decision underscores the ongoing tension between fiscal austerity and the need to support vulnerable populations. As the nation grapples with rising food insecurity and economic challenges, the fate of these programs remains a critical issue for policymakers and communities alike.

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