USDA Cuts School Food Program – Will Michigan Families be Affected?

The US Department of Agriculture is cutting two federally-funded programs that spend roughly $1 billion a year to supply food for schools and food bank programs.

These cuts could have an impact on Michigan schools and food banks as the cuts are implemented in 2025.

What Programs Are Being Cut?

The Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program (LFS) is a federally-funded program that allocates about $660 million for schools and childcare centers to buy food that is grown locally. A similar program - the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program - provides about $500 million for food banks. Both programs are being cut, according to The Guardian.

The USDA pledged about $1.3 billion to fund both programs in December of last year, but cuts to the programs were announced on Friday (3/14).

Program Cuts' Impact on Michigan Schools

According to Newsweek, the impact these cuts have on schools will vary by state and will depend on how much of the funding schools use to complete their yearly budgets. .

Michigan and 41 other states have been receiving federal money from the USDA's Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program. States were informed last week that funding will be ending after a 60-day notification period.

Will Michigan Schools' Free Lunch Programs be Affected?

A representative of the School Nutrition Association says the cuts could "pull free meals away from 12 million US students."

However, this may not be the case for Michigan's 1.4 million public school students who have access to free breakfast and lunch at school.

Michigan School Meals is a state-level program that helps provide free meals to Michigan students. It is currently run and funded by the state. Funding for the program for the 2024/2025 school year was secured by the state before the school year began.

However, the lack of USDA funding could mean change for Michigan school students moving forward.