Tag: USDA

CSIS Reviews Implications of the Final U.S. Hunger Report

A new Jan. 6 report from the think tank, CSIS, reviews the recent U.S. Government study about hunger in America, noting that this until-now annual food security or hunger report will no longer be conducted by the US Government which deemed it political and inducing fear.

Caitlin Welsh, the author of this review observes that “the end of the report represents a rupture in long-standing data on food security among Americans, as there is no report that provides the same information to the public and policymakers today.”  This survey had been created with bipartisan support and helped advise Congress about anti-hunger programs.

The USDA Household Food Security in the US publication looks back at 2024 found that roughly 1 in 7 Americans were food insecure, and that “5.4 percent of households experienced very low food security.”  Hunger was not uniform everywhere in the U.S.  For example, 36% of families in the Washington DC area experienced food insecurity in 2024 and “the Greater Boston Food Bank found that in 2024, 37 percent of Massachusetts households faced food insecurity in 2024.”

Welsh writes that food insecurity in the US has in the past tracked the health of the U.S. economy.  In recent years, hunger has increased, in significant part because of increasing retail food prices.  Welsh says “alongside elevated food prices, experts may be right to assume a continued rise in food insecurity in 2025.  In 2026, cuts in the SNAP program enacted in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, were estimated to eliminate SNAP assistance for millions of Americans, may further increase food insecurity among U.S. families.”

CSIS is the Center for Strategic and International Studies, an independent, non-partisan think tank based in Washington, DC.  See:  https://www.csis.org/analysis/last-us-hunger-data-what-we-lose-termination-usdas-household-food-security-united-states

For the full US Department of Agriculture report, published on Dec. 30, 2025, see:  https://ers.usda.gov/sites/default/files/_laserfiche/publications/113623/ERR-358.pdf?v=89918  authored by Matthew P. Rabbitt, Madeline Reed-Jones, Laura J. Hales, Shellye Suttles, and Michael P. Burke who are economists in the Economic Research Service of USDA.

See also, the related Hunger Notes article on this issue by Kathy Goss:  https://www.worldhunger.org/united-states-cancels-household-food-security-report/

United States Cancels Household Food Security Report

In the United States, domestic hunger has been surveyed annually by the United States Department of Agriculture, or USDA, since 1995.  For 30 years, the USDA’s Economic Research Service has measured the level of food insecurity among U.S. households.

On September 20, 2025, the USDA announced that they are cancelling the Household Food Security Reports, meaning the 2024 report will be the last under the current format.  In its announcement, the U.S. administration stated they were cancelling the survey because “These redundant, costly, politicized, and extraneous studies do nothing more than fear monger”.   Additionally, the announcement indicated that “trends in the prevalence of food insecurity have remained virtually unchanged…between 2019 – 2023”

However, according to the USDA Household Food Security Report of 2023, food insecurity has been on the rise since 2020.  Across the 4-year period, the prevalence of food insecurity (those with low and very low food insecurity) among US households rose from 10.5% in 2020 to 13.5% in 2023, an increase of just less than 5 million households – representing 47.5 million Americans.  The same trend is seen with the prevalence of households with very low food security rising from 3.9% in 2020 to 5.1% in 2023, representing 1.7 million households.  According to the USDA, the definition of a food insecure household is one which had difficulty at some time during the year providing enough food for all their members because of a lack of resources.  A household with very low food security was one in which the food intake of some members of the household was reduced, and normal eating patterns were disrupted at times during the year because of limited resources.

The cessation of this report occurs at a time when the USG’s 2026 federal budget expands the work requirements for those receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.  According to the U.S. Congressional Budget Office, approximately 6% of beneficiaries, or 2.4 million Americans could lose benefits because of these changes to the law.  The loss of this key data source will likely make it more difficult to understand the scale of food insecurity in the U.S.

Various food security policy, advocacy and research experts are arguing that the cancellation of this annual survey will result in the loss of a significant data source that is used to inform policy on how to combat food insecurity in the U.S..  For example, Bread for the World issued a press release urging USDA to reverse the decision.  They argued that the survey/report has been foundational for understanding how families experience food insecurity, especially children, and for making evidence-based policy decisions.  The Food Research and Action Center criticized USDA’s decision as “shortsighted” and warned that eliminating the report hides the struggles of millions of families. They emphasized the importance of data in assessing policy impacts (e.g. SNAP cuts).

Ending the USDA Household Security Report eliminates one of the few consistent measures of household hunger at a time when food insecurity data is more important than ever. As Megan Lott, a food policy researcher, notes, “the report is an irreplaceable tool for assessing how policy decisions shape families’ lives.”   Protecting robust food insecurity data is not just a technical question, it is a matter of public accountability and an investment in evidence-based policymaking that prioritizes the well-being of households nationwide.

Update: Independent news sources indicated that the final set of data for 2024 would be released in part or whole on October 22, 2025, which has not yet happened.  The U.S. government was shut down from Oct 1-Nov 12.  Watch this space for additional updates.

References:

1. USDA Press release, “USDA Terminates Redundant Food Insecurity Survey September 20, 2025” https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/press-releases/2025/09/20/usda-terminates-redundant-food-insecurity-survey

2. USDA Economic Research Service, “Household Food Security in the United States in 2023”
https://ers.usda.gov/sites/default/files/_laserfiche/publications/109896/ERR-337.pdf?v=33413

3. Congressional Budget Office Congressional Budget Office, “Estimated Effects of Public Law 119-21 on Participation and Benefits” August 11, 2025 https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/2025-08/61367-SNAP.pdf

4. Bread for the World Press Release “Bread Urges the USDA to Retain the Annual Food Security Survey and Report” September 23, 2025. https://www.bread.org/article/bread-urges-the-usda-to-retain-the-annual-food-security-survey-and-report/

5. Food Research and Action Center Press Release “USDA’s Decision to End 30-Year Food Security Report Will Hide the Struggle of Millions of Families to Put Food on the Table” September 23, 2025
https://frac.org/news/foodsecuritysurveyterminationsept25

6. Douglas, L. (2025, September 22). Impact of Trump cuts will be harder to track without USDA hunger survey, advocates say. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/impact-trump-cuts-will-be-harder-track-without-usda-hunger-survey-advocates-say-2025-09-22/

7. Datz, Todd. “Cancellation of food insecurity survey a blow to understanding hunger in U.S.” Harvard Crimson. October 16, 2025. https://hsph.harvard.edu/news/cancellation-of-food-insecurity-survey-a-blow-to-understanding-hunger-in-u-s/

Status of McGovern-Dole School Feeding Unclear

In May 2025, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) cancelled most of its existing foreign assistance programs, including those involving overseas school feedings.  These projects are referred to as “McGovern-Dole” that were projected for the future.

The overall program, named after former senators George McGovern and Bob Dole, has provided life-saving meals in a school setting to over 31 million of the world’s most vulnerable children and has been one of America’s signature child nutrition and food security programs.  In 2022, the program fed nutritious school meals to more than 2.7 million food-insecure children during the school year, while training teachers and rehabilitating schools, in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

All of these school feeding projects were implemented by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and/or the World Food Programme.  The recent, May 2025 cancellations occured abruptly, as NGOs were preparing to design and compete for new awards in more countries.  No rationale from the U.S. Administration was given, despite Congressional questions to USDA.  The Trump Administration has further deleted the program from its FY2026 budget request.  Currently, American NGOs, such as World Vision, Save the Children, Project Concern and Counterpart International are challenged by the loss sudden and unexpected loss of support.

Catholic Relief Services (CRS), one such NGO, announced how these terminations leave school-age children in the lurch:  “Beginning in July, more than 780,000 children across 11 countries will be left without their school meal, as 11 out of CRS’ 13 projects have been terminated—deepening the crises of hunger, malnutrition and poverty that already threaten their ability to learn, grow and thrive. …. In 2024, evaluations of our work highlighted increased literacy rates, economic growth and reduced absences due to hunger and illness. … A recent study in Guatemala and Honduras revealed that 76% of respondents cited three major benefits of USDA’s McGovern Dole School Feeding program that reduce migration: increased access to education, improved agricultural production and a stronger local economy.”

Civileats reports that “the canceled grants will mean less demand for U.S. farmer commodities, even as other trade policies are pinching growers.  And it will contribute to shrinking the United States’ soft-power influence around the world.”

McGovern-Dole school feeding programs have been seen as a way to encourage young girls to attend schools in settings where many girls find it difficult.

Evaluations of school feeding programs are common, such as by WFP, USDA, and NGOs.  A meta-analysis commissioned by the U.S. government in 2020 found that the effect of take-home rations on school participation is positive for all school children and is the same for girls as for boys, while the effect of in-school meals on school attendance is larger for girls than for boys.

Globally, an estimated 350-400 million children receive school feeding each year.  In years past, reviews by the World Bank and the respected International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) recognized the benefits of school feeding in terms of nutrition, educational gains, women’s empowerment, and long-term development.  In 2009, the World Bank published Rethinking School Feeding: Social Safety Nets, Child Development, and the Education Sector, cast school feeding as part of safety nets and as long-term investments.  In 2021, the World Bank and WFP launched an initiative that evaluated the efficacy of school feeding programs via experimental impact evaluations in countries like Burundi, Guatemala, Jordan, Malawi, and The Gambia.  Results from 2024 found that school meals, benefited an estimated 418 million children globally, enhanced educational outcomes (e.g., enrollment and retention) and acted as social safety nets during shocks.

Senators Bob Dole (Republican) and George McGovern (Democrat), who sponsored the enabling legislation for this school feeding aid, were both nominees of their respective parties for U.S. President, and both served in Europe during World War II.  Senator McGovern flew 35 precarious missions as a pilot during 1944-1945 from Italy over Germany and after the war flew food aid for the recovery of Europe.

Senator Dole championed humanitarian causes abroad.  He played a key role in mobilizing Senate support for Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1992 to 1996, pressuring the Clinton administration and NATO to address the Bosnian War.  Senator McGovern served as the first Director of the U.S. Food for Peace Program before becoming a Senator.  During that time, he worked with the White House to create the U.N. World Food Programme, which was approved by the U.N. General Assembly in 1961 and launched in 1963.

Update: However, on May 12, 2025 USDA announced a call for Fiscal Year 2025 applications for McGovern Dole programming.  The priority countries listed are: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Honduras, Mozambique, Pakistan, Senegal, and Sierra Leone.

– S. Hansch, WHES Board

 

This article was updated and corrected on Nov 11, 2025 to note the status of this program remains unclear and that a new funding opportunity was announced. This is a developing issue.

 

USDA to Provide $2b in Food Aid to Combat Growing Food Insecurity Across US

The U.S. Department of Agriculture plans to provide $2 billion in food aid to food banks and school districts to help feed children and families who may be struggling to afford enough nutritious food.  This comes amid fast-rising food prices, especially for fresh fruits and vegetables, and increases in food insecurity across the country.

Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, usage of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) increased by over 4 million recipients – all participants were allotted maximum benefits. Emergency funds for food aid will likely end within the next few months of 2022, which would lead to substantial decreases in monthly assistance. The Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) estimates that “41 million SNAP recipients will lose an average of $82 in food benefits per month and some households will see benefits drop by as much as $200 per month.”

The USDA said that the funds are part of its “emergency food assistance” program, which provides money to government agencies and nonprofits to help low-income people buy groceries. The funds will come from the Commodity Credit Corporation, a government agency that provides loans to farmers.

These funds will go toward supporting school meal programs as well as providing assistance for food banks that have seen demand skyrocket since the pandemic started. The agency said it would also increase funding for community projects focused on nutrition education and healthy eating habits by $10 million over last year’s budget, bringing total funding up to $30 million nationwide.

Read the full Washington Post article: USDA to give $2 billion to food banks, schools to stem rise in hunger