SaveWorkingAmerica 
 
Social media post purporting food bank deliveries to Cleveland halted mid-delivery @ snopes.com
U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Assistance Programs 15 USDA programs and budgets$164 billion annually not counting Disaster-SNAP emergency aid Starve food insecure Americansand bankrupt the local farmers and ranchers who feed them Pointless cruelty to save a drop in the bucket? Read more Key Aggregated Resources

Food insecurity is rising across America. According to the USDA's own figures, 13.5% (18 million) households were food insecure during 2023, which translates to 47 million people including 7-plus million children all struggling to get enough food.1

And so we were appalled when we came across a social media post alleging 20 semi-truck trailer loads of food destined for a Cleveland food bank had been halted en route, leaving $2 million dollars of food to rot. This turned out to be false — there were no trucks on the way, yet also mostly true. The U.S. Department of Agriculture had reneged, with no notice, on 20 truckloads scheduled to deliver half a million pounds of food from April to July 2025 to the Greater Cleveland Food Bank..2

We expect the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins3 has been working on these cuts threatening the food security of Americans for years. And why? Because in 2021 she founded the America First Policy Institute, a conservative "think tank" planning the policy agenda for a second Trump administration, notable for its 2022 screed accusing Federal agencies of slow-walking Trump's Executive Orders and otherwise obstructing political appointees during his first term.4 This certainly explains Trump's immediate purge upon his return to office of anyone who irked him in his first term.

The U.S. Agriculture Department has confirmed to press outlets that it has (per CNN) "cut more than $1 billion in assistance by ending two pandemic-era programs — $421 million for the Local Food Purchase Assistance Program, which enabled states to buy food from farmers and distribute it to groups that help communities in need, and $660 million for Local Food for Schools, which allowed states to buy food for schools and child care facilities. In addition, it halted $500 million in deliveries to food banks via the USDA’s Commodity Credit Corporation pending a review."5 There are no USDA press releases regarding cuts or pauses on their web site as of our last check. Nor does the end of the pandemic end the need. In fact, demand at some food banks has grown significantly since. There is no faith that anything "paused" will resume.

It was only in December, 2024 that the Biden administration announced a total of $1.13 billion for food aid programs, along with spending allocation details.

If we invaded a territory, say Greenland6, and halted essential food deliveries, we could be accused of committing a war crime. But take food from the mouths of Americans? It's GOP policy. Let's be clear. Any Republican in office who has not acted to stop these cuts of hundreds of trucks, hundreds of millions of dollars of food assistance — 700,000 pounds of meat, dairy and eggs to that one Cleveland, Ohio food bank alone7, is not only complicit but in full support.

U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Assistance Programs

The USDA funds a large number of food assistance programs to combat hunger and improve nutrition across the United States. Until the impact of cuts to programs, we did not fully appreciate the extent to which the USDA worked to support American farmers and ranchers in providing food to America's most food insecure.

15 USDA programs and budgets$164 billion annually not counting Disaster-SNAP emergency aid

We've compiled a list of USDA-funded food-related programs and budgets. Some of the cited sources are no longer accessible.8 The canceled programs are not included. They would bring the total from $164 billion to just over $165 billion.

The U.S. federal fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30 of the following year. For example, Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 ran from October 1, 2023, to September 30, 2024.

  1. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
  2. Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
  3. National School Lunch Program (NSLP)
  4. School Breakfast Program (SBP)
  5. Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)
  6. Summer Food Service Program (SFSP)
  7. The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP)
  8. Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP)
  9. Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations Program (FDPIR)
  10. Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP)
  11. Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (FMNP)
    • Budget: $25 million
    • Program site: [fns.usda.gov/fmnp](https://www.fns.usda.gov/fmnp]
    • Source: [USDA FMNP Annual Summary 2023](https://www.fns.usda.gov/fmnp/annual-summary)
  12. Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP)
  13. Nutrition Assistance Block Grants
  14. Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP)
  15. Disaster-SNAP (D-SNAP)

Starve food insecure Americansand bankrupt the local farmers and ranchers who feed them

Reports in the press in the immediate aftermath of the cuts paint a grim picture nationwide. That only "COVID era" temporary funding is affected is false.

  1. Alabama, central — USDA cuts impacting Community Food Bank of Central Alabama (WBRC), USDA funding cuts are beginning to impact the Community Food Bank of Central Alabama. They distributed around 25 million pounds of food in 2024 and around 3 million pounds of that food came from two USDA programs that are now cut.
  2. Arizona, Apache County — USDA cuts hit Apache County schools, food banks, farms (White Mountain Independent), One-third of children in Apache County are facing hunger. The county’s poverty rate remains around 30%, more than double the state average, and child poverty is even higher at 40–44%. The elimination of federal food assistance programs is expected to drive these numbers higher.
  3. Arkansas, Texarkana — Texarkana food bank braces for impact of USDA cuts (KTBS), more than half of the food delivered to the Harvest Texarkana Regional Food Bank comes from the USDA. There are about 60,000 food insecure families, individuals and older adults in its 10-county service area.
  4. California, Kern — Federal USDA cuts hit food banks, up to 300 distribution sites across Kern (KGET), USDA bonus loads that Emergency Food Assistance Program get through our TEFAP program have been canceled, around 3.5 million pounds and $4.5 million dollars. The food bank has already lost 13 scheduled deliveries.
  5. California, San Francisco and Santa Clara County — Bay Area food banks brace for impact of USDA cuts (KTVU FOX 2), multiple food banks have been affected. In the past few weeks the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank has seen a reduction of about 680,000 pounds of USDA food deliveries through June.
  6. California, statewide — California food banks brace for funding cuts, and not only from the Trump administration (CalMatters), cuts include 11 truckloads, 400,000 pounds, of future deliveries to Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services — which feeds 310,000 a month, double that during the pandemic, 90 to Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, a total 330 across the state.
  7. California, Ventura County — 'Nothing is sacred at this point': USDA cancels eggs, dairy and meat delivery to food bank (Ventura County Star), Seven truckloads and one additional shipment for the Oxnard-based nonprofit Food Share were officially canceled. The roughly 213,000 pounds of food would cost an estimated $400,000 to replace. In all, Food Share receives around 25%, or 5 million pounds, of its food from the USDA. The local organization also receives $838,000, or 10% of its total budget, from the federal agency. Food Share reported a more than 170% increase in the number of food recipients since 2019.
  8. Colorado, statewide — ‘Their budgets are tight’: Colorado nonprofits seeing impacts after billion dollar cuts from the USDA (KKTV), Nourish Colorado was supposed to receive roughly $5.9 million for K12 school districts, $2.1 million for childcare facilities, and $5 million for food pantries and food banks. They lost $1.6 million which they used to invest in 14 local farms.
  9. Delaware, statewide — USDA Cuts Halt Food Shipments to The Food Bank of Delaware (WBOC TV 16), fourteen truckloads of food expected to arrive at the Food Bank of Delaware over the next couple of months, are now "on hold." That represents a full quarter of the food they expected this fiscal year.
  10. Florida, statewide — Food banks are struggling as the Trump administration cancels or pauses $1 billion in food programs (WFSU), cuts to the national Local Food Purchase Assistance program includes roughly $20 million that would have been available to Florida this fall, for food banks and to local Florida growers.
  11. Georgia, statewide — Georgia schools and food banks lose USDA fresh food funding amid Trump cuts (WABE), Schools and food banks in Georgia are losing funding that goes toward buying fresh food. This comes as the Trump administration cuts programs that support purchasing from local farms including the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program, or LFS. LFS provides funds to states to help buy locally sourced for schools and child care organizations. State representatives signed an agreement to expand the LFS to Georgia in 2023. According to Ossoff’s office, Georgia may lose close to $35 million this year now that the funding is canceled.
  12. Gulf Coast: Mississippi, Alabama, Florida Panhandle — Feeding the Gulf Coast food bank feeling effects of recent USDA program cuts (NBC15), The USDA is canceling the Local Food for Schools Program and Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement, used to buy food directly from local farmers. Ledger says he also recently found out the food bank will lose additional funds from the Credit Commodity Corporation. "Both programs will probably equal about five million meals that we are going to lose in support this year and presumably the following years."
  13. Illinois, statewide — Illinois food pantries face uncertainty as USDA weighs cuts to COVID-era programs (17ABC/FOX39), With federal funding, Illinois created the IL-EATS program, which bought foods from local farmers and distributed them to food pantries. More than 170 farmers have supplied food to 883 locations through the supported Illinois-EATS program.
  14. Indiana, statewide — Indiana food banks brace for impact after USDA cuts $500M aid (13WTHR), one food bank alone, Gleaners, distributes food to 21 counties in which one out of eight residents faces hunger. According to [Feeding Indiana's Hungry]member food banks distributed nearly 140 million pounds of food, 22% from the USDA, 20% purchased, and roughly 60% donated.
  15. Iowa, statewide — Food Bank of Siouxland facing challenges after USDA cuts (KCAU), the state-wide Iowa Local Food Purchasing Assistance Program has been cut, meaning food banks such as Food Bank of Siouxland will need to remove the majority of their protein products as they lose 70,000 pounds of product.
  16. Kentucky, statewide — USDA programs that paid KY farmers to provide food to schools, food banks cut. ‘Devastating’ (Lexington Herald Leader), Small farmers participated in the USDA Local Food Purchase Assistance Program. That $11 million program helped buy cheese, poultry, pork, vegetables and fruit from local farmers to be served at food banks and to under-served populations. That program will be out of money come August. Kentucky was to get an additional $5.8 million for the next three years.
  17. Louisiana, New Orleans — USDA budget cuts hit Louisiana food programs: ‘The unknown is terrifying’ (WWL Louisiana), article leads with Toups Family Meal, which serves tens of thousands of meals from June to August. They had planned to deliver 150,000 meals.
  18. Maine, statewide — Good Shepherd says federal food assistance reductions pose serious challenges (MaineBiz), The cancellation of $1.25 million in food assistance funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture will pose serious challenges for people in Maine facing food insecurity, the Good Shepherd Food Bank said this week. Reductions include cancellation of a key local food purchasing initiative and anticipated cuts to staple food deliveries. Good Shepherd is Maine’s largest hunger-relief organization.
  19. Maryland, statewide — USDA funding cuts targeted schools and food banks. Farmers are paying the price. (Baltimore Banner), the impact on local farmers growing food for schools and food banks.
  20. Massachusetts, Boston — USDA cuts over $2 million worth of food typically scheduled for Greater Boston Food Bank (WCVB Boston), last year The Greater Boston Food Bank distributed more than 107 million pounds of food, or the equivalent of nearly 90 million meals.
  21. Massachusetts, statewide — USDA yanks $3.4M in aid to state food banks (Daily Hampshire Gazette), the $3.4 million would have purchased 121,830 cases of perishable food items, the equivalent of 185,000 meals, for seniors, children, and working families.
  22. Massachusetts, statewide — ‘A vital program’: USDA cancels millions of dollars worth of assistance to Mass. food banks (Boston 25 News), On Thursday, the state’s food banks were informed by the Massachusetts Office of Education that $3.3 million worth of The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) food items were cancelled by the USDA. The cancellations total about 122,000 cases of food assistance.
  23. Michigan, statewide — Michigan Food Banks and School Programs Reel from USDA Funding Cuts, Millions of Meals at Risk (Hoodline), cuts include $4.3 million in emergency food deliveries to Michigan food banks, approximately equating to 2 million meals expected between April and August for the USDA's Emergency Food Assistance Program, a crucial initiative set up in 1981 to provide low-income residents with no-cost emergency food.
  24. Michigan, west — USDA halts delivery of 600,000 pounds of food to Michigan food bank (MLive), About 32 truckloads of food for Feeding America West Michigan have been delayed or canceled by the USDA. The truckloads equated to about 600,000 pounds of food and would have arrived between April and July. The food is worth about $1.1 million and was to be provided through the USDA’s Emergency Food Assistance Program, he said.
  25. Missouri, Kansas City — USDA pulls $500M in food bank funding, impacting food banks in Kansas City (KMBC Kansas City), Harvesters serves local food banks across 27 counties in NE Kansas and NW Missouri including Kansas City and Topeka, distributing 60 million pounds of food last year, down from a high of 77 million from the COVID pandemic.
  26. Montana, statewide et al. — Federal cuts squeeze already-struggling food banks, school lunch programs (Stateline), nationwide impact article leads with Day Eagle Hope Project, a state-certified food bank operating on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation.
  27. Nevada, statewide — USDA cuts disrupt food bank, local farming support program in Nevada (Las Vegas Review-Journal), USDA cut off funds to Home Feeds Nevada, a state purchasing and distribution program for local producers and processors that supply the state’s two major food banks, Three Square Food Bank in Southern Nevada and the Food Bank of Northern Nevada. In reporting elsewhere, $6 million went to local farmers and ranchers to feed the food insecure.
    The phrase "fiscal responsibility initiatives" fall on unbelieving ears when food is taken from the food insecure, citing a $1.15 trillion deficit, while planning an additional $4.5 trillion tax cut (SPEND) for the rich and corporations.
  28. New Mexico, statewide — NM food banks face cuts in federal spending (New Mexico Political Report), Over the past few years, farmers throughout New Mexico have planted crops that food banks purchase using federal funding. That funding has now gone away when the Local Food Purchase Assistance program was terminated in early March.Food banks in New Mexico have spent $4 million of federal funding purchasing locally-produced food from small producers in the state. Roadrunner Food Bank in Albuquerque distributes about 46 million pounds of food annually. Of that, about 30 percent comes from an impacted USDA program.
  29. New York, central state — Food Bank of CNY braces for loss of nearly 2 million pounds of food amid Trump budget cuts (syracuse.com), The Food Bank of Central New York is preparing to lose about 1.7 million pounds of food shipments in the coming months after President Donald Trump’s administration cut funding for two local food assistance programs. The cutbacks affect food supplied to soup kitchens, food pantries and emergency shelters in an 11-county region.
  30. New York, eastern region — Only on CBS6: USDA to Regional Food Bank: Big Cuts are Coming (WRGB), the NYS Regional Food Bank serves 1,000 charitable agencies across 23 counties, feeding 350,000 people a month.
  31. New York, Long Island — Long Island Cares, Island Harvest food programs affected by USDA assistance cuts (Newsday), a shipment of 250,000 pounds of food Island Cares — The Harry Chapin Regional Food Bank expected this week from the USDA was abruptly canceled. Island Harvest, a food bank based in Melville, reported the USDA "froze" $1.7 million in funds for senior meals.
  32. North Carolina, Charlotte — How USDA cuts will impact Charlotte food pantries (WBTV3), In 2024, Nourish Up helped more than 164,000 families needing groceries. “Just last year, we fed more people than we ever had any year on record. So, to hear about cuts, we’re quite frankly terrified”, CEO of Nourish Up Tina Postel said to WBTV.
  33. Ohio, north central — Second Harvest Food Bank loses 148,000 pounds of food in USDA cut (Chronicle Telegram), Second Harvest Food Bank loses 12 truckloads, 148,000 pounds, of food scheduled for delivery between May and August.
  34. Ohio, northeast; Cleveland — Trump, USDA cuts 553,000 pounds of food for Greater Cleveland Food Bank: ‘Complete disappointment’ (cleveland.com), Greater Cleveland Food Bank learned that 20 semi-truck loads of food, worth $1 million, 553,000 pounds of food for the food insecure, were abruptly canceled.
  35. Oregon, Columbia County — How the Trump administration’s USDA cuts threaten Columbia Pacific Food Bank (columbiacountyspotlight.com), Columbia Pacific Food Bank delivers food to 38 food pantries, meal programs and produce distribution points throughout the county. 38% of the food they distribute a year comes from the USDA. The cancellations and freezes will impact about 20% of that amount, or about 41 tons of food.
  36. Oregon — Trump administration halts millions of dollars in deliveries to Oregon food banks (OPB), the Oregon Food Bank distributes food to 21 regional food banks, which then serve some 1,400 distribution sites across the state. About 15 of 45 truckloads of food per month have been cut, a loss of $6 million worth of emergency food.
  37. Pennsylvania, Harrisburg — Trump administration drops funding for Pa. farmers who help food banks. Shapiro moves to reverse it (Pennsylvania Capital-Star), At the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank in Harrisburg, Gov. Josh Shapiro announced his administration is pushing back against a move by the United States Department of Agriculture to cancel $13 million in funding for Pennsylvania farmers who provide products for food banks. “As a result of what I consider to be this unlawful action, 189 Pennsylvania farms will lose a critical source of revenue, and 14 food banks across Pennsylvania will lose access to locally produced, fresh food,” Shapiro said. “Here at the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, that means 500,000 fewer meals they can deliver to hungry Pennsylvanians every month.”
  38. Tennessee, Gibson County — Tennessee students, farmers bear impact of USDA cuts to local food programs for schools, food banks (Tennessee Lookout), The Milan Special School District used Local Food for Schools funding to help pay for school lunches and summer meals. Last year, the District fed students more than 132,000 lunches during the school year and more than 30,800 meals during summer months. The funding allowed partnering with a local stockyard to get minimally processed local beef delivered directly to the district, contracting with local farmers to raise broccoli, purple hull peas, tomatoes, corn and melons specifically for the schools.
  39. Texas, east — East Texas Food Bank to take $871,000 loss in food due to USDA cuts (CBS19), TYLER, Texas — The East Texas Food Bank said truckloads of food from the USDA will not be delivered due to federal cuts. The food equates to 360,000 pounds valued at $750,000. The Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA) of the ETFB is also set to incur a loss of 756,000 pounds of produce, valuing $121,000. The LFPA program helps purchase food produced in Texas to support both local and regional producers.
  40. Texas, east — USDA funding cuts cancel truckloads of food meant for East Texas Food Bank (KLTV), the East Texas Food Bank serves 26 counties, distributing food to a network of over 200 food pantries and feeding programs serving nearly 20,000 square miles; the immediate loss totals 1,116,000 pounds of food scheduled to be delivered.
  41. Texas, Houston et al. — Food banks prepare for fallout of USDA $1B funding cut (The Packer), article leads with the impact on Houston Food Bank and its ability to distribute 40 truckloads of food each month. The organization provides access to 140 million meals in 18 counties through 1,600 community partners.
  42. Texas, Killeen — Federal fallout: USDA cuts hit local food banks as demand soars; council members left wondering why (Killeen Daily Herald), a closer to home view of the cuts to food banks in Texas, documenting the impact at Food Care Center in Killeen. The Killeen food bank was expecting to hand out 3 million pounds of food to 150,000 people this fiscal year, an all-time high.
  43. Washington DC and Capitol Area — How DC food banks will be affected by USDA cuts (NBC4 Washington), one in three people face food insecurity across the region. Between a quarter and a third of the food Capital Area Food Bank provides comes through USDA programs.
  44. Washington state — Nearly $5 million in Washington emergency food assistance is canceled by USDA, including over $400K for Spokane (The Spokesman-Review), Employees at the state’s agriculture department logged into a federal system to track orders for food assistance programs on Tuesday and noticed the status of a previous order for food delivery from April to June changed from “under review” to “canceled.” Those orders total $4.7 million as part of the Emergency Food Assistance Program, run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
  45. Washington, Snohomish County —  (HeraldNet), Volunteers of America runs two food banks in Snohomish County in Sultan and Everett, while also operating a distribution facility for about 20 other food banks in the area. The nonprofit received about $400,000 over the last two years as part of the Local Food Purchase Assistance Program which brought nutrient-dense foods to its food banks and provided local farmers with a reliable source of funding. That funding has now been cut off.
    46. Last year, the food bank distributed a record 39 million meals, invested almost $1 million in grants to Maine’s hunger-relief network and sourced 3.6 million pounds of locally produced food.
  46. Nationwide impact featuring individual food bank impacts — USDA Cuts Hit Food Banks Across the Country: ‘This Is Just the Tip of the Iceberg’ (Capital & Main)

Pointless cruelty to save a drop in the bucket?

Cutting $1.13 billion is a pittance compared to the USDA FY 2024 spend of $203 billion and does nothing toward reducing a $1.15 trillion deficit when Republicans are preparing to spend $500 billion a year to fund a $4.5 trillion cut for corporations and the rich.

Punishing 47 million fellow Americans living in food insecurity — and that number is growing — is the sole purpose of these cuts.

Read more

Also see The National Farm to School Network's media attention tracker.

Key Aggregated Resources
1Hunger in America on the Rise as USDA Cuts Food Bank Funding, at Equal Justice Initiative.
2,7Trump budget cuts canceled 20 truckloads of food for Cleveland food bank
3Appointed February 13, 2025.
4Tales From the Swamp: How Federal Bureaucrats Resisted President Trump, the article is dated January 2025 but file stamped 2022. The earliest web archive article copy is dated February 1, 2022, so the current 2025 date is false.
5Reported by the USDA to CNN.
6Trump says U.S. will 'get Greenland,' military force may not be needed but not ruled out, "President Donald Trump did not rule out military force to acquire Greenland in an interview as the Danish territory continued to rebuff his advances."
8See Read more for government web site sources.
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