The Trump administration will cut $1.1 billion in funding for food banks and free school lunches, officials confirmed Monday.
U.S. Department of Agriculture leaders notified state officials of the cuts on Friday, according to Politico. The programs had funded schools and food banks to purchase food from local farmers and other nearby sources.
The USDA was set to give $660 million to schools and $500 million to food banks, The Hill reported. The programs were withdrawn because they “no longer effectuate the goals of the agency,” a USDA spokesperson said.
One of President Trump’s main goals in his first two months in charge has been dismantling large swaths of the federal government. Elon Musk and the so-called Department of Government Efficiency have taken lead roles in the massive cuts, including firing tens of thousands of government workers.
The USDA programs were instituted in 2021 by then-President Joe Biden’s administration. They were designed to help local food banks and schools purchase food from nearby farmers and suppliers.
“This program will strengthen the food system for schools and childcare institutions by helping to build a fair, competitive and resilient local food chain,” reads a statement still on the USDA website for the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program as of Tuesday.
More than 40 states signed up to participate in the programs during Biden’s administration. Several Republican-led states — including Utah, Iowa, South Carolina and Mississippi — praised the federal funding.
“The Utah State Board of Education is excited to expand markets for our state’s farmers and offer more nutritious, locally-produced foods to our students,” state superintendent Sydnee Dickson said in December 2022.
