Food Programs — News & Analysis

USDA cancels $1 billion in local food programs (March 11, 2025)

March 11, 2025 — The Trump administration's USDA abruptly ended two Biden-era programs that had channeled over $1 billion to schools and food banks for purchasing food from local farmers, saying the initiatives "no longer effectuate agency priorities." States were notified on March 7 that the programs were being terminated.

The Local Food for Schools program had been set to distribute $660 million in 2025, enabling school districts and childcare facilities to buy fresh produce and other goods from nearby farms. The Local Food Purchase Assistance program had been slated to provide $500 million to food banks and hunger-relief organizations. Both were created under the Biden administration using Commodity Credit Corporation funds in the wake of COVID-era supply chain disruptions, and had supported over 8,000 producers across all 50 states, four territories, and 84 tribal governments as of late 2024.

The USDA simultaneously cancelled $500 million in Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) funds, pushing total cuts to food banks above $1 billion. The cancellations drew bipartisan criticism from governors and agricultural officials. Food banks warned they could not replace the loss of fresh, local produce, while farm-to-school advocates noted that small and mid-size producers had made capital investments specifically in anticipation of program contracts that were now void.