USDA program cuts deepening Charlotte food insecurity, food banks say
The United States Department of Agriculture is ending several pandemic-era programs that connected local farmers to food banks and schools.
The USDA is ending the Local Food Purchase Cooperative Agreement Program, a program that helps food banks purchase food from local farmers. And some food bank workers told Channel 9′s Erika Jackson it's affecting their ability to help people.
Tens of thousands of people in Mecklenburg County rely on Nourish Up, a food pantry and delivery service to keep their families fed and healthy.
Nourish Up is a group working to fight food insecurity and provide healthy options within their food pantries, according to CEO Tina Postel.
'We see so many clients who are suffering from diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease. And so if all we have available to feed people are pop-tarts and pastries at the end of the day, we're making their underlying health conditions worse,' Postel said.
READ: Food pantry sets new record serving families as need grows
Nourish Up served 164,000 people in 2024, a 19% increase from 2023, Postel said.
'There are too many families and seniors on fixed incomes that are struggling to pay rent or pay for, you know, their necessary medications or buy groceries and sadly, rent eats first,' she said.
Nourish Up gives each family member it services a box filled with non-perishables alongside fresh foods such as fruits and vegetables. Those foods come from donations and partnerships, Postel said.
One of Nourish Up's partners is Second Harvest Food Bank. The USDA LFPA program helped Second Harvest purchase foods from local farmers. Postel said this can affect the quality of food Nourish Up gives out.
'Any cuts to that might mean that we have to purchase more, you know, nonperishable food instead of the fresh, healthy stuff,' she said.
Nourish Up has never had to turn people away, Postel said. And that is still top priority.
'That's our goal, is to make sure that everybody has access to food, and so there's no shame in calling us and asking for help,' she said.
READ: Charlotte Mecklenburg Library to give out food monthly
The USDA also cut the Local Food for Schools and Child Care Cooperative Agreement, a program that helps connect schools and childcare centers to buy food from farmers. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools told Jackson that it spent more than $500,000 in it's current phase of the program. It hopes to continue to the next phase of funding to buy locally grown products.
A USDA spokesperson told Jackson that the two programs were pandemic-era programs and have reached their ends.
'The COVID era is over—USDA's approach to nutrition programs will reflect that reality moving forward,' the spokesperson said in a statement.
The administration said it is still focused on 'strengthening food security, supporting agricultural markets, and ensuring access to nutritious food.' But the hope is to focus on more long-term solutions, according to a USDA spokesperson.
'Unlike the Biden Administration, which funneled billions in CCC funds into short-term programs with no plan for longevity, USDA is prioritizing stable, proven solutions that deliver lasting impact,' the spokesperson said.
The USDA said all existing agreements under the programs will be terminated in the next 60 days.
WATCH: Food pantry sets new record serving families as need grows
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