The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced more than $1 billion in cuts to programs that help food banks and schools buy fresh foods from local, underserved farmers and ranchers across the nation.
School Nutrition Association, a nonprofit that works to get kids low-cost meals that are high in quality, issued a news release recently. It said states were warned of $660 million in cuts to 2025 funding for the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program. Mississippi does not appear to participate, based on award information. But $7.5 million was listed as “estimated funding” for fiscal year 2025.
According to reporting from Politico, the USDA also plans to discontinue the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program, which helps food banks and other community organizations that feed communities get access to local produce, seafood and meat from farmers and ranchers. Current contracts reportedly will be honored but no new funding rounds are planned this year.
The LFPA helps Mississippi food banks get millions of dollars in fresh food from local farmers, many of whom are classified as historically underserved. That means they’re beginning farmers and ranchers, people of color or veterans that meet specific requirements.
Both programs were introduced to respond to the impacts to the food supply chain brought on by the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the USDA. As of the end of 2024, food purchased through the program had been distributed at 7,900 food banks, food pantries, and communities in the U.S., the agency said.
Here’s what we know about the food bank program and where the funds go in, near Mississippi.
Why is USDA cutting school, food bank funds?
The cuts are the latest in a long list of spending programs and jobs to be cut from the federal government, cuts touted by President Donald Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency (spearheaded by Elon Musk).
According to the Massachusetts agriculture department, the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service determined the funding “no longer effectuates federal agency priorities, and that termination of the funds is appropriate.”
What is the food bank program?
The Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program similarly engages states in agreements to spend federal dollars on purchasing food from local farms and suppliers to fuel food banks.
The agreements allow states, tribal and territorial governments to purchase food within their own communities – in the state itself or within 400 miles of the food’s destination. That food goes to food banks and organizations that feed people in “underserved communities,” according to the USDA’s website.
The goal of the program, which was launched in 2021, is to “improve food and agricultural supply chain resiliency,” the website said. Food banks and food pantries would distribute nutritious, locally sourced foods.
Who does the food bank purchasing program help in, near Mississippi?
“The Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce (MDAC) is partnering with the three Feeding America affiliated food banks that together service all 82 counties in the state of Mississippi,” according to information from the USDA.
The Magnolia State has “the worst hunger problem in America,” according to the Mississippi Food Network. About one in six people don’t have enough to eat, and about one child in five goes to bed hungry nightly.
According to USDA awards, the Mississippi Department of Agriculture received more than $6.8 million for LFP and LFPA Plus awards. About $2.8 million was regular program funding, and $4 million came from Plus funds, which was a program expansion in 2022.
The program worked with 50 producers, and 80% of those were underserved, according to the most recent award information.
The food purchased was valued at $3.2 million:
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Produce: $2,201,696 (69%).
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Fish and seafood: $824,610 (26%).
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Dairy and milk: $60,056 (2%).
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Meat and poultry: $39,715 (1%).
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Nuts, seeds and Legumes: $13,440 (0.4%).
Where can I find food banks in Mississippi?
These three work as part of the Feeding America Network to help get resources to food banks and community organizations across the state:
Need help finding where to go? Check out a map here.
UPDATE: USDA reinstates 1890 scholarship that helps Mississippi HBCU students study farming, food
How much money does USDA spend on school, food bank programs?
The funding cuts to the local school and food bank programs amount to over $1 billion, according to Politico. The School Nutrition Association said $660 million of that money was for schools to make the local food purchases. According to Politico, a USDA spokesman said funding announced last year is not available and agreements will be canceled after a 60-day notification.
In December 2024, the USDA announced a $1.13 billion investment for the programs. Of that funding, $471.5 million was slotted for states and territories to “purchase local, unprocessed, or minimally processed domestic foods” to serve in schools participating free or reduced-cost meal programs, and $188.6 million for child care centers participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program.
Contributing: Reuters
Jeanine Santucci is a national news reporter at USA TODAY.
Bonnie Bolden is the Deep South Connect reporter for Mississippi with Gannett/USA Today. Email her at bbolden@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: USDA kills programs that help kids, MS food banks, farms. What to know
