Trump’s USDA Cuts Increasing Hunger Risk for Low-Income Americans

Hunger rates in the US have risen in recent years, driven by inflation and the expiration of pandemic-era programs that expanded food assistance. The administration of President Donald Trump has pledged to curb inflation by reducing government spending, including cuts to two US Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs that supported food purchases for schools and food banks.

Food banks in multiple states told Reuters that the suspension and cancellation of these programs will lead to fewer deliveries of produce, meat, and other essential items. As a result, individuals who depend on free food supplies may face increased shortages in the coming months.

A major contributing factor is the anticipated decline in shipments from USDA’s The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP)—a key nutrition program that purchases food from farmers and distributes it to pantries, some organizations reported.

Feeding America, a nationwide network of food banks, has engaged with the Trump administration regarding the funding pause, urging a swift resolution, according to spokesperson Zuani Villarreal. The delay compounds the impact of the administration’s cancellation of the Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) program, which previously provided about $500 million annually to food banks.

Chad Morrison, CEO of Mountaineer Food Bank in West Virginia, said a state forecast for April showed a 40% reduction in expected TEFAP shipments of staples such as cheese, eggs, and milk. The cuts will significantly reduce supplies for the organization’s network of 450 food pantries and feeding programs.

Food banks are facing record demand as US hunger rates climb after years of decline. According to the latest USDA data, 13.5% of Americans experienced food insecurity in 2023—the highest level in nearly a decade. Rural areas have been hit even harder, with a hunger rate of 15.4%.

Farmers who supplied food banks through the LFPA program are also feeling the impact. Anna Pesek, a farmer in Delaware County, Iowa, said about 20% of her Over the Moon farm’s sales last year came from LFPA purchases of turkeys and pork for food banks. With funding cut, she expects her pasture-raised products will no longer reach pantries.

"It feels really devastating," Pesek said.

‘It’s Frightening’

Food banks and pantries in West Virginia, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, California, and Nebraska have lost millions of dollars in federal funding and food shipments in recent weeks, Reuters found.

Julie Yurko, CEO of Northern Illinois Food Bank, said her organization received $3 million from LFPA over the past 18 months to buy fresh produce from local farmers. Without the program, she warned, "we are going to have less produce to give to our neighbors."

Illinois alone saw $14.7 million in funding canceled and another $6.4 million frozen, halting a food box program that connected local farmers with food pantries, according to Jerry Costello, the state’s Agriculture Department director.

In Kern County, California, where about half of the local food bank’s supplies come from TEFAP, deliveries have been suspended, said Savannah Oates, advocacy and public relations manager at Community Action Partnership of Kern. She estimated the organization has only two to six months of food in stock and is seeking restaurant donations to fill the gap.

In Charleston, West Virginia, volunteers at Trinity’s Table, a food aid group, surveyed a diminished USDA delivery: just two boxes each of dried potato flakes and shelf-stable milk, along with two cases of vegetarian baked beans.

Before the Trump administration’s changes, deliveries filled an 18-wheeler, said Sara Busse, the group’s volunteer coordinator. Now, she fears the program may have to stop providing meals for senior groups.

"It’s dreary, it’s very frightening. We’re all losing sleep," Busse said.

At Charleston’s East End Resource Center, Martha Ross, 78, examined the food donations at a recent senior meal, noting the sharp decline.

"I guess we’ll get real skinny," she said, attempting humor despite the growing crisis.