The US Department of Agriculture has cut two federal programs, which consumes more than $ 1 billion annually to help schools and food banks buy food at local farms and ranches. This means that children are unlikely to have a healthy and nutritious meal. Newsweek.
The agency has cut $ 660 million in local foods for the 2025 school cooperation agreement program (LFS), a USDA spokesman confirmed. Newsweek. The LFPA, which provided about $ 500 million to support food banks this year, has also been cut.
Why is it important
Reductions affect more than 40 states that have agreed to participate in the program over the past few years. Advocates say that cuts can injure their families who are struggling to threaten school meal programs and increase the cost of groceries.
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I need to know
The Trump administration’s decision to cut funds for cooperative contracts that support local food purchasing capacity of schools and other organizations will have a fatal impact on students, schools, farmers, and local economies, according to Food Research & Action Center Alexis Bylander, a temporary director of child nutrition programs and policies. Newsweek.
Tara Thomas, a government manager of the School Superintendent’s Association, said that school districts are already having difficulty maintaining school meal programs due to their resources.
She said Newsweek The LFS program was a way for USDA to support schools that buy local nutritious foods, and it was an important supplement to national school lunch and school breakfast programs.
According to Pamela Koch, a nutrition and educational professor at Teachers College of Columbia University, more meals were prepared in the school kitchen after a healthy and hungry children’s law in 2010. “This requires resources, and these cuts will be sad to reduce this effort,” Koch said. Newsweek.
KOCH said that due to the loss of the program, “dependence on the prepared pre -prepared meal items can increase,” KOCH said. “School meals have the potential to provide nutrition and expand their taste to students, which can only occur with the financial support of local food and school meals.”
Becky Pringle, chairman of the National Education Association, said that this wound could not come in a worse time.
Without the program, the school said, “We will struggle to provide prepared meals with fresh ingredients, and many school districts will expand the budget gap.” Newsweek.
The USDA spokesman said that the agency is focusing on the “core mission” of “strengthening food security, supporting agricultural markets, and guaranteeing access to nutritious foods.”
What people say
USDA spokesman said: “This is not suddenly shift. Last week, USDA announced more than 5 billion won for relocation of LFPA and LFS to fulfill its existing promises and support continuous local food purchases.
“Through 16 powerful nutrition programs, USDA focuses on the core mission. Enhancement of food security, agricultural market support, and nutritious foods. Unlike BIDEN administration, unlike BIDEN administration, BIDEN administration, which promotes billions of dollars in CCC funds to short -term programs without planning for longevity, USDA has a nutritional effect. Honest solutions are prioritized.
Shannon Gleave, chairman of the School Nutrition Association, said in a statement.: “Local food programs allowed chronic school meal programs to buy fresh and local options for student meals, from agricultural products, fresh fish or meat, cheese of local cows, yogurt and milk. It is a big blow to the school, and it was awarded to the school.
Alexis Bylander, a temporary officer of child nutrition programs and policies at Food Research & Action Center, said.: “The Trump administration’s decision to cut funds for cooperative contracts that support local food purchasing capabilities between schools and other organizations will have a fatal impact on students, schools, farmers and local economies. It’s time to strengthen your efforts. “
Tara Thomas, the government manager of the School Superintendent, said.: “School nutrition programs are important for students to receive meals to be academic and physically, but school districts are having difficulty in maintaining these programs due to limited resources.The local food programs for school foods can provide additional resources for USDA and buy local schools when they can be difficult to supply schools to supply children. It was used as a way to support schools.
“In the community, the federal government should strengthen these programs with additional resources as the earth is promoted as food and labor costs rose with food anxiety in the community.”
Presidential National Education Association, Said in the statement: “(President Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s) Efforts could not spend a worse time. Because food prices and household budgets are under pressure, more families rely on nutrition for healthy school meals.This popular program has fresh and local nutritious foods. We will struggle to provide meals with ingredients, and many school districts will widen the budget gap.
She added: “School meals with local resources, including learning and connecting food sources, harm their own health and learning. If you are interested in academic success, reducing food funds is wrong for everyone.”
What happens next time
School districts all over the country should evaluate how to alleviate the loss of funds for school meals.
