As part of his ongoing effort to reduce government spending, the Trump administration announced that $1 billion will be cut from federal programmes that allow schools and food banks to purchase fresh food from local farmers and ranchers.
The Department of Agriculture stated that the March 10 decision was to “return to long-term, fiscally responsible initiatives.”
However, Treasure Coast schools and food banks are concerned that cutting the two programmes will leave students, seniors, and low-income families with fewer nutritious options as living costs rise.
The Local Food for Schools programme, which assisted schools in purchasing healthier food for school lunches, received approximately $660 million in cuts.
Another $420 million was slashed from the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement, which allowed food banks to purchase locally sourced produce and dairy.
More than 40 states took part in these programmes, including Florida, which received $46 million for its food bank programme last year, according to the state budget.
“Statewide, this will affect a million children,” said Judith Cruz, CEO of the Treasure Coast Food Bank.
The Treasure Coast Food Bank previously received $3.5 million, which helped feed 250,000 people per week. Cruz stated that the food bank will now have to rely more on processed foods to meet the needs of the community.
This comes as the Trump administration, led by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., aims to reduce the amount of “ultra-processed” foods in the American diet.
“We’ve worked so hard to educate people on the impacts of poor diet on chronic illness,” Mr. Cruz stated. “Now I don’t know how we’re going to make that up.”
Trump administration withholds Biden-era funds
Two weeks after the first cuts to nutritional funding, the USDA withheld another $500 million for food banks across the country that the Biden administration had awarded last year.
The USDA’s Commodity Credit Corporation provided the funds, which are intended to “stabilise, support, and protect farm income and prices” as well as provide emergency nutritional assistance.
The Treasure Coast Food Bank works with approximately 300 other nonprofits to feed its clients, whom it refers to as “neighbours.” Without USDA funding, there will be insufficient donations from charities and retailers to feed the community, Cruz stated.
“There isn’t a magic charity sitting on the sidelines waiting to jump in and make up the difference,” she told me.
School cafeterias left with less healthy options
Public schools on the Treasure Coast are unsure how the funding cuts will affect their cafeterias, but they are closely monitoring the situation.
Lydia Martin, spokesperson for the St. Lucie County School District, stated that the Local Food for Schools programme assisted in placing fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, and dairy products on breakfast and lunch trays.
“With the funding removed, this could limit and reduce the variety of items available, impacting the supply chain,” Martin pointed out.
School meal programmes across the country were already overburdened, with approximately 90% of school districts unable to absorb the cost of reduced funding, according to the School Nutrition Association. Now, school districts are awaiting guidance from the USDA on how to proceed.
The Martin County School District sourced approximately 15% to 20% of its produce from local farms, including cherry tomatoes, strawberries, red bliss potatoes, green beans, cucumbers, tangerines, bell peppers, oranges, tangelos, tomatoes, star fruit, and radishes.
According to spokesperson Derek Lowe, the district will continue to work with its community partners to provide students with the fresh food they have come to expect.
The Indian River County School District has also stated that it will do everything possible to continue providing students with fresh food despite funding cuts.
“At this point, it is not possible to fully understand the potential impact of cancelling this programme,” said spokesperson Cristen Maddux.
Emergency nutritional services grow in need as costs rise
The rising cost of living has left many Florida families food insecure, which means they don’t have enough to eat and are unsure where their next meal will come from.
According to state health data, one in every five children under the age of 18 on the Treasure Coast goes hungry.
That figure has been steadily rising since the coronavirus pandemic began in March 2020.
Other factors have increased the area’s reliance on food banks, such as the back-to-back hurricanes in October and the recent layoffs by the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE , Cruz said.
“We’ve seen an increase in people who are new to seeking assistance,” Cruz informed the crowd. “These are people who have never been on unemployment, who have worked all their lives.”
Cruz hopes that now that these programmes have been eliminated, the need for them will become clearer, and that the Trump administration will reinstate them.
“It’s not like eliminating a handful of streaming services you don’t watch,” Cruz told reporters. “These are essential services.”
