Official Statement from Tarrant Area Food Bank on Federal Reductions to USDA Programs & Impact on Hunger Relief Efforts
The recent USDA announcement regarding the cancellation of state agreements for the 2025 Local Food Purchase Assistance Program (LFPA) and the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) supplemental food purchases has created a substantial challenge for the Tarrant Area Food Bank (TAFB). With a loss of $1.9 million in funding, equivalent to 1.3 million meals from LFPA reductions and the cancellation of 39 truckloads of food from CCC, TAFB now faces a significant shortfall of 2.5 million meals or $4.2 million. These reductions affect the food available to food insecure families and place a strain on TAFB’s resources as it works to continue supporting families, children, and seniors facing hunger.
Despite these challenges, TAFB remains steadfast in its commitment to securing more food and ensuring families in need continue receiving support. TAFB is actively advocating for a strong Farm Bill in September 2025 to help local farmers and growers, while providing ongoing assistance to families struggling with food insecurity. Our advocacy includes:
- Continue Partnerships between U.S. Agriculture & Tarrant Area Food Bank while Investing in Local and Regional Food Systems
- Support for Local Agriculture & Sustainable Food Systems: Encouraging policies that promote local farming and sustainable food production can reduce dependency on imported goods, stabilize food prices, and enhance food security.
- Rescue Surplus Commodities: TAFB is working to recover surplus commodities from trade negotiations, ensuring they are distributed through food banks and hubs like the Sid W. Richardson Foundation Agricultural Hub.
- Excluding Staple Food Items from Tariffs: By removing tariffs on essential food items, TAFB seeks to reduce food costs and prevent additional strain on food assistance programs.
- Support Federal Nutrition Assistance Programs through passage of a strong Farm Bill and budget: Advocating for the passage of a strong Farm Bill and supporting key programs like TEFAP, SNAP, and CSFP that help offset food costs for low-income households.
- Reauthorize & Strengthen the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), securing funding for food purchases from local farmers, storage, distribution, and rural infrastructure to ensure ongoing support for food banks.
- Protect & Strengthen Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by maintaining the purchasing power of SNAP, improving enrollment processes, and connecting participants with employment and training opportunities.
- Reauthorize the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) for Seniors by ensuring seniors with low incomes continue receiving nutritious food support.
Impact of Partnerships Between Agriculture & Food Banks: By connecting local agriculture with food banks, TAFB is supporting both local farmers and producers, while also addressing food insecurity. These partnerships are essential for strengthening regional food systems, enhancing community support, and creating a positive feedback loop that benefits local economies.
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About Tarrant Area Food Bank
TARRANT AREA FOOD BANK (TAFB): One of the largest charitable organizations in its 13-county service area, TAFB provides over 1 million nutritious meals weekly and food & nutrition education programs to those facing hunger through its network of 400+ partner agencies, volunteers, and donors. As a member of Feeding America, TAFB empowers communities to alleviate hunger and improve health. For more information, visit www.tafb.org.
