In a Start -up of newsThe School Nutrition Association confirmed that the USDA has reduced $ 660 million estimated financing to buy healthy and local food for school meals.
National schools will not receive federal funding for healthy eat
The funds previously allocated through the Local Food Cooperation Agreements for Schools will no longer be available by 2025 to support local producers or provide healthy and healthy options for schools and child care facilities.
“With the research showing school meals, they are the healthiest meals than the North -Americans, the Congress must invest in non -funded school meals instead of reducing critical services for students’ realization and health,” said SNA President Shannon Gleave, RDN, SNS, in a news state.
She continued: “These proposals would make millions of children lose access to free school meals at a time when working families fight with the increase in food costs. Meanwhile, short -training school nutrition teams, which strive to improve menus and expand the kitchen of scratches, would be sinking with procedures that consume time and expensive created by new government inefficiencies. “
Federal cuts also affect LFPA
State officials were notified of the USDA’s decision to highlight the LFS program. More than 40 states He had signed agreements to receive funds from previous years, by Politico.
The Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperation Agreement ProgramSupporting food banks and other food organizations has also been eliminated. Although USDA plans to disable funds for existing LFPA agreements, by politico, there will be no funds for a second term in 2025.
A USDA spokesman stated that funding “is no longer available and that these agreements will be completed after the 60 -day notification”.
“These programs, created by old administration through executive authority, no longer effective the objectives of the agency. The LFPA and LFPA PLUS agreements that were before LFPA 25, which still hold substantial financial resources, will remain in force for the rest of the performance period,) The spokesman added.
Biden administration initially expanded both programs
In December, the administration of Biden extended its expense in LFS and LFPA to $ 1.13 billion to support local and regional food systems. The funding, initially announced on October 1, helped states, territories and tribes access healthy foods, according to one Start -up of news.
The USDA provided more than $ 471.5 million for the states and territories to buy healthy and unprocessed foods for schools participating in national lunch programs and/or school breakfast. According to the SNAThese programs are among the initiatives affected by the federal cuts.
This movement is the last round of federal expense cuts by the Trump administration and Elon Musk, the head of the Government Efficiency Department. Blavity reported that the unofficial Federal Agency of Musk headed cuts to the Department of educationSocial Security Administration, IRS, United States Agency for International Development and more.
