Liz Miller, senior manager of community relations for Spoonfuls, a food recovery operation in New England, said Spoonfuls’ partner organizations face serious threats from the USDA funding cut of the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program.
In March, USDA cut funding for two federal programs that spent more than $1 billion to help schools and food banks buy food from local farms and ranches. This includes $660 million for the Local Food for Schools program and $500 million for the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program.
“That means millions of dollars here in Massachusetts alone that are no longer available for food banks and also for school districts to purchase local food, and that really impacts how much fresh product they have to distribute or to use in school meals,” Miller said.
And when those partner organizations have less funding, that doesn’t mean the need goes away. In fact, Joni Kusminsky, senior director of communications and public affairs, said in a recent demographic survey conducted by Spoonfuls shows partner organizations have seen an increase in need. From Spoonfuls’ 2022 to 2024 surveys, partner organizations offered services to 12.5% more people per week and 35% more people across the network per year.
Miller said the reduced funding puts added pressure on Spoonfuls and other food recovery organizations to fill that gap for partner organizations. And unfortunately, those funding cuts impact Americans’ access to healthy produce.
“Spoonfuls is hearing from our partners that they’re running out of food more rapidly than they previously were, and they were already in a pinch, because rates of food insecurity have been really sky high since the pandemic, so now they’re under more pressure,” she said.
Funding cuts to the Emergency Food Assistance Program, which helps food banks purchase food, have also been proposed. And proposed cuts to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits also worry those who Spoonfuls, food banks and other food recovery organizations serve.
“Households and individuals are fearing those cuts and worrying about what they’re going to do, and the many partners that we work with who are providing food to a lot of those people are really concerned about how that’s going to impact their ability to meet the need in their communities,” she said.
Miller recently visited Washington, D.C., with the Zero Food Waste Coalition to garner support for the coalition’s priorities.
“The Zero Food Waste Coalition really sits at the intersection the same way that Spoonfuls work does at the intersection of wasted food, food insecurity, the climate impacts of wasted food,” Miller said.
Conversations among congressmen and women ranged from food security and how wasted food impacts the environment to the economic impacts of wasted food.
“When we started to talk about the issue of food security and how wasted food intersects with that, how food recovery is both reducing food waste and feeding people, it was very interesting,” she said. “This conversation of making America healthy again came up. If we’re talking about recovering fresh produce, which is, the vast majority of what Spoonfuls is recovering, that’s something that can really support people’s health.”
Miller said that there was interest among the legislators that the Zero Waste Coalition met with in promoting food as medicine and seeing fresh fruits and vegetables as a way to support health and well-being.
Kusminsky said Spoonfuls, which works with retail and brand partners to source food and with pantries, meal programs, veteran shelters, senior centers, etc., to deliver that food, has heard from its network that it has been a challenge to meet the growing need.
“At the same time as all of these cuts are happening, it’s tougher for them to procure the food that people need when they need it, more and more people all the time,” she said.
Spoonfuls’ partners say fresh produce, meat and dairy are the top three categories most in need.
So, for those concerned about potential cuts or just want to help, Miller said those in the industry should reach out to their representatives to discuss concerns about SNAP benefit cuts and food bank funding cuts. Legislators understand the role that farmers play in their communities for providing food, so discussing the economic benefits of the SNAP program is a great way to drive home the message.
“Legislators are very interested to hear from people in their district who are impacted by what’s going on in Washington, D.C.,” she said.
Another way is to volunteer and donate to organizations impacted by funding cuts, Miller said.
“Supporting those organizations, however they’re asking to be supported, is really important right now too,” she said. “Some are seeking volunteers. Some are trying to fundraise to close the gap that’s impacting them by these cuts. There are a lot of calls to action out there right now. But, if there’s an issue folks care about, or there’s an organization folks care about, rise to the call when there’s a call to action. That’s relevant for industry players who are intersecting with those orgs as much as just any constituent.”