USDA cancels local food purchasing program, putting more strain on central Ohio food banks

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• Ohio food banks are facing a funding crisis due to federal cuts, rising food costs, and a proposed state budget reduction.
• The cancellation of the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA) will significantly impact food banks’ ability to purchase fresh produce from local farmers.
• Food banks are experiencing record-high demand as families struggle with inflation and rising food costs, leading to concerns about potential food shortages and reduced variety for those in need.

Local food banks are feeling the pinch — and may be forced to offer less fresh produce — amid federal funding cuts to a program connecting them with local farmers and challenges with rising food cost.

The concern comes as the latest round of struggles for food banks in Ohio amid policy changes, rising food costs and a proposed budget that would cut state funding for food banks to purchase food, all while Ohio food banks experience record levels of need.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently canceled money for the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA), which supplies assistance to local food banks and organizations in underserved communities. According to USA Today, LFPA agreements would continue but there would not be another round of funding this year.

The Mid-Ohio Food Collective, which provides food to over 20 Ohio counties including Columbus and Franklin County, is among the organizations hit by the cut. Mike Hochron, MOFC vice president for communications and public affairs, said the program provided over $1 million in purchasing power to the collective.

“It’s definitely a loss — in the bigger picture of the things we’re worried about right now — it’s a smaller one,” Hochron said. “If this were the only thing that went bad, and everything else that’s hit in the last couple years, we would be in better shape.”

Purchasing program was ‘win-win-win’ for food banks, families and farmers

Hochran said the program was a ”win-win-win”, because it benefitted new farmers, food banks and the families that received fresh produce. The LFPA helped the Mid-Ohio Food Collective source protein like chicken and beef for families, while paying a market price to local farmers.

“Really, it was about supporting farmers building economic capacity within Ohio farmers, and then the beneficiaries of that were, were ultimately food banks and the families we serve,” Hochran said.

Hochran said the reduction in federal money may mean less variety on the shelves for those who use local food banks.

“If we have too many cuts in too many places, the total amount of food that we have is going to be reduced as well,” Hochran said. “So we’ll do the most we can with the resources that we have — but families coming to us for help might see some products that they’re hoping to find just aren’t on the shelves.”

Joree Novotny, executive director of the Ohio Association of Food Banks, said while the program was funded through an executive spending program, it enjoyed bipartisan support. She said the program helped new farmers scale up their operations and get real experience in connecting with purchasers.

“It is really going to cause hardship for local farmers, and we’re devastated about that,” Novotny said. “And of course, we’re also really disappointed to lose what was really nutritious, wholesome, delicious food from local farmers in our food banks.”

Food program cut just latest challenge facing Ohio food banks

Hochran said that in addition to the LFPA program being removed, food banks are struggling with increasing costs of everything from eggs to fuel to operations. He also pointed to “unknowns” at the federal level, like how tariffs may impact food costs.

“Tariffs are just a huge question mark right now, and really have a tendency of hurting, hurting farmers, and then those things trickle down to us,” Hochran said. “Rising food costs resulting from tariffs are another thing that could increase need.”

Novotny said that Ohio food banks also face a $7.5 million reduction under Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s budget proposal. She said she has been working to inform state legislators and the public about how food banks help underwrite the cost of farming by purchasing food that would otherwise be wasted because it can’t be sold in the retail market.

“We can offset their picking and packing and processing costs, just so they don’t take a loss on that product, and then bring that really healthy food into food banks and reduce that food waste,” Novotny said.

Amid rising food costs and challenges to food banks, Hochran and Novotny said that resources are being stretched even thinner from record-high demand for food banks’ services. Hochran said that demand for food bank services in the region is up 40 to 60% since the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Novotny said that in a survey of food recipients at food banks, two-thirds of them have skipped meals to save costs and that in the last six months of 2024, food banks saw a nearly 35-year high in demand.

“We can only do so much on our own, so we’re really kind of looking around and wondering how we’re going to be able to continue to meet need, Novotny said. “And I know that that’s not untrue for, you know, every consumer who is feeling pressure on their pocketbooks right now.”

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