$1 billion cut from USDA food programs. What it means for Pa. schools, food banks

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• The U.S. Department of Agriculture has cut $1 billion in funding, including money that helps feed students and low-income residents.
• Pennsylvania will lose $35.9 million in federal funding for food programs in 2025.
• Food banks are reporting a 10% increase in demand over last year.

Pennsylvania will lose millions in federal funding to buy fresh food from local farms that helps feed students and low-income residents.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has cut $1 billion in funding as part of the Trump administration’s efforts to slash spending.

The cuts include $660 million for the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program and $500 million for the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program for 2025.

More: USDA plans big cuts to food bank, school food programs: What to know

The USDA unfroze funding from the first round of distributions, which occurred this past fall, but said there will not be a second round.

Pennsylvania received $6.8 million for the Local Food for Schools program and more than $29 million for the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative and the expanded program, LFPA Plus, for a combined total of $36.7 million.

It was set to receive another $35.9 million for 2025, including nearly $23 million for LFS and $13 million for the LFPA programs, according to the USDA.

‘That’s going to be challenging for us’

“We obviously hoped that it would continue or be officially codified,” said Greg Hall, the chief executive officer of the Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest Pennsylvania, which serves an 11-county region that includes Erie and is one of 13 regional food banks across the state. “It’s really allowed us to purchase fresh and nutritious foods, specifically we’re talking about things like milk, eggs, produce, fresh agricultural products like fruits, vegetables, that sort of thing — all of it from local PA farmers. And then we are able to distribute that down to our neighbors who are in need.”

Hall said he was unsure as of Wednesday if all or just some of the funding for the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative would be eliminated. Since the program began three years ago, the Second Harvest Food Bank has received $1.3 million, including $700,000 for the current fiscal year that began July 1, about 30% of its budget for food. That’s equivalent to 1.3 million meals over three years, he said.

“It’s definitely going to have an impact locally,” Hall said. “That’s going to be challenging for us and for our communities.”

Hall, however, said he is optimistic that local supporters of the food bank will help offset some of the lost revenue from the program.

Demand growing as food costs rise

The loss of funding comes as the regional food bank has seen a 10% increase in demand over the previous year, which Hall attributes to the rising cost of groceries.

“The goal of this program was to target a lot more of those fresh, nutritious products,” Hall said. “Where our neighbors in need are really going to struggle is that there’s really no way for them to make that up. When you look at the prices of things like eggs, milk, produce, they’re just not going to be able to purchase those things.

“I’ve worked a couple of our mobile produce distribution events and, I mean, we’re seeing folks line up sooner. The lines are longer,” he added.

The School Nutrition Association recently announced cuts to the Local Food for Schools program.

“Congress needs to invest in underfunded school meal programs rather than cut services critical to student achievement and health,” association President Shannon Gleave said in a statement, in which the organization urged lawmakers to oppose further cuts to school lunch programs. “These proposals would cause millions of children to lose access to free school meals at a time when working families are struggling with rising food costs.”

Both the LFS and LFPA programs allowed states to enter into noncompetitive contracts with food producers to provide fresh, non-processed foods to schools, childcare centers, and regional and local food providers, like food banks. For the LFPA program, Pennsylvania purchased food from 296 unique producers, according to the USDA.

Cancel school debt, says Fetterman

On Wednesday, U.S. Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and two other Democratic senators introduced a bill that would force the USDA to pay off the national public schools’ meal debt, which is about $176 million annually. In Pennsylvania, Fetterman said in a statement, 500,000 children who are considered food insecure owe a total of $234 million.

“‘School lunch debt’ is a term so absurd that is shouldn’t even exist,” Fetterman said in a statement. “I’m proud to lead the fight to cancel our nation’s school meal debt — it’s long past time to stop humiliating kids and penalizing hunger.”

The School Lunch Debt Cancellation Act would also empower the USDA to buy food for food banks.

Matthew Rink can be reached at [email protected] or on X at @ETNRink.