Amid the federal funding cut, a similar food assistance program is facing potential state budget cuts.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom made an appeal on April 5 to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to reverse its termination of $47 million in funding for local food aid, which supplies food banks and other programs.
“California’s agriculture sector ... relies on the support of the Department of Agriculture to ensure that they can get fresh, healthy foods onto families’ tables,” Newsom said in a
statement. “The irrational and malicious slashing of funds will not only hurt our farmers, but also the families who need food banks and school meals to stay healthy and thrive.
“I implore the USDA to immediately reverse this decision.”
Launched in 2022, USDA’s Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA) provides funding to states “to help support local, regional and underserved producers,” according to
USDA’s website.
“The food will serve feeding programs, including food banks and organizations that reach underserved communities,” the website states.
The Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program, a similar USDA initiative that also started in 2022, has supported the purchase of local foods for public school meals.
At the end of 2024, the Biden administration pledged a total of $1.13 billion for the next round of funding for local food programs, including up to $472 million for Local Food for Schools and $660 million in LFPA funding.
However, the Trump administration ended
both programs in early March and canceled funding, including California’s $47 million. USDA said the programs were launched to address food supply disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“USDA is prioritizing stable, proven solutions that deliver lasting impact,” a USDA spokesperson
told The Epoch Times in early March. “The COVID era is over—USDA’s approach to nutrition programs will reflect that reality moving forward.”
Newsom’s office said that since 2022, California has used more than $88.5 million in LFPA funding to support local farmers and food programs, and that in 2024, the California Association of Food Banks received more than $22.3 million to provide local food and nearly 19 million meals to those in need.
The California Department of
Education has received more than $23 million in past years through the USDA’s Local Food for Schools program.
In the April 4
letter sent by the state’s Department of Social Services, which oversees California’s LFPA and other food assistance programs, officials said that California produces nearly half of the country’s fruits and vegetables.
However, without the promised funding, “California’s ability to meet agricultural demand will be disrupted, resulting in serious consequences such as weakening the State’s food supply system and restricting access to fresh produce for millions of low-income Californians,” the letter reads.
State Makes Funding Cuts to Similar Programs
USDA’s cut comes as California’s food assistance programs also face state funding cuts amid a $2 billion budget
deficit.
The state’s decades-long CalFood program, which allows food banks to purchase from local farmers and producers, is slated to receive a significant cut. For the past three years, it has received $60 million yearly. For the 2025 to 2026
budget, it is set to receive only $8 million.
The California Association of Food Banks, which has 41 food banks as members, has called on the state to make the $60 million funding to the program permanent. The
organization said the $8 million baseline funding does not meet the needs of hungry Californians.
The Epoch Times has reached out to Newsom’s office for comment on whether the governor would consider keeping state funding should the USDA not reverse its decision.
USDA Keeps CalFresh Funding
CalFresh is California’s version of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for low-income households.The program has been a major federal food assistance program for Californians. The USDA has not announced any cuts to this program.
In fiscal year 2023 to 2024, California received a total of $12 billion in federal funding for its CalFresh program, providing a $189 monthly benefit to about 5.3 million Californians, according to a February
report by the California Legislative Analyst’s Office.
Bill Pan contributed to this report.
