USDA Ends School Lunch Programs, Sparking Concerns Over Child Nutrition and Local Food Access

In response to a Trump order, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the termination of two pandemic-era initiatives that had allocated over $1 billion to schools and food banks for the procurement of locally sourced foods. These programs were essential in feeding millions of children healthy, freshly prepared meals—often the most nutritious food many students received in a day. They supported schools in serving fruits, vegetables, dairy, and proteins from nearby farms, keeping both kids and local economies nourished and strong.

This decision has raised concerns among educators, nutritionists, and local producers about the future of school meal programs and community agricultural partnerships.

Impact on Schools and Local Producers

The Local Foods for Schools (LFS) program, which directed approximately $660 million to schools and childcare centers, enabled institutions to purchase food directly from local farmers, fishermen, and dairy producers. 

“These meals helped so many children who otherwise might go hungry. People don’t realize that some kids don’t have food at home,” said Fetecia Hunter, a parent from Savannah, Georgia, speaking about the end of federal school meal programs. “When it was free lunch, that was their meal for the day, and people just don’t realize that.”

Caroline Trinder, Food & Nutrition Services Director of the coastal RSU 23 school district in Maine, emphasized the program's benefits: "I think everyone can say that they want kids at school to receive the healthiest meals possible. It's the least processed, and we're helping our local economy, we're helping farmers that may be the parents of our students."

Concerns from Nutrition Advocates

The cessation of these programs is expected to adversely affect school districts with already strained meal budgets. Shannon Gleave, president of the School Nutrition Association, highlighted the potential repercussions: "In addition to losing the benefits for our kids, this loss of funds is a huge blow to community farmers and ranchers and is detrimental to school meal programs struggling to manage rising food and labor costs”.

Consequences for Families and Communities

School nutrition experts and local food advocates say the end of these programs is more than a budget decision — it’s a setback for kids who rely on school meals and for the communities that supported them.

“We're talking about a real loss of access to nutritious food for the students who need it most. These programs didn’t just feed kids — they built bridges between schools and local growers”, Gleave warned.

Proposed federal changes are also raising alarms. New rules could make it harder for schools to offer universal free meals and require stricter income verification for discounted meals. “We’re going to see more kids fall through the cracks,” said a food service director in Ohio. “Families who are already struggling may not have the documentation or time to reapply — and kids go hungry in the meantime.”

The USDA has framed these cuts as part of a post-COVID transition, but many in the field say that framing misses the point. “This wasn’t about pandemic relief anymore,” Gleave said. “It was about doing the right thing for students and communities. And now that’s being taken away.”