HANCOCK – During a meeting of representatives from local food pantries held at the Salvation Army Wednesday, Bailey Lewis, from Feeding America West Michigan, said recent funding cuts to USDA programs will have a negative impact on local food access, particularly for the vulnerable.

On March 11, the Hill reported the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) cut more than $1 billion in funding for local food banks and schools by terminating two programs that aid state, tribal and territorial government food purchases. The buy-local programs support the purchase and distribution of goods produced within the state or within 400 miles of the delivery destination.

The move comes amid broader efforts by the Trump administration to reduce the size and scope of the federal government, including some cuts to programs that critics say are mandated by law. Lewis said the cuts will hurt local food banks and pantries. “USDA purchases surplus products from American farmers to then distribute to the charitable food system.” “That’s why it goes to food banks and thus, food pantries,” she added, “That’s kind of the way it works.”

Lewis said the federal funding cuts will not only impact people in need, but also farmers and the economy. “They’ve already cut some other nutrition programs like the Local Food Purchasing Agreement (LFPA). That would allow us to buy local and distribute local, and use federal dollars to pay for it. They cut that program completely, it will be gone by the end of the year.”

The Hill reported LFPA and the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program have been canceled because they “no longer effectuate the goals of the agency,” according to a USDA statement.

“As a pandemic-era program, LFPA will now be sunsetted at the end of the performance period, marking a return to long-term, fiscally responsible initiatives” the Hill stated. “This isn’t an abrupt shift–just last week, USDA released over half a billion in previously obligated funds for LFPA and LFS to fulfill existing commitments and support ongoing local food purchases,” a USDA spokesperson said in a statement.” The Hill went on to say the USDA still has 16 nutrition programs in place.

“There’s a lot of federal food programs,” Lewis said. “There’s one that is just for Indian reservations, there’s some that are just for kids, so it’s just going to be challenging. I don’t know what it’s going to be like at the end of the year, but I would imagine there will more cuts to come.”

Lewis said she believes those within the ALICE population. ALICE refers to Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed, a term coined by United Way to describe households that earn above the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) but still struggle to afford basic necessities.

“That’s who it’s really going to affect, but also it’s going to really affect seniors, because CSFP is getting cut back. It’s going to affect people who have fixed incomes, disabilities, young families who don’t get much from SNAP allotments.”