Trump Administration Cancels USDA Food Security Reports as 48 Million Americans Faced Insecurity
Updated
Updated · Jacobin magazine · Aug 18
Trump Administration Cancels USDA Food Security Reports as 48 Million Americans Faced Insecurity
3 articles · Updated · Jacobin magazine · Aug 18
Summary
All future USDA food security reports were canceled, including the 2025 edition, with the Trump administration saying the studies “do nothing more than fear monger.”
48 million Americans lived in food-insecure households in 2024—14.4% of the population—the highest level in more than a decade, even as SNAP enrollment fell by more than 5 million over the latest year of available data.
Less than $1 million produces the annual report, which is the USDA’s most comprehensive measure of hunger and helps guide roughly $100 billion in SNAP assistance.
42 million people a month received SNAP on average last year, making the loss of the reports significant for tracking need as food assistance participation drops.
Why are millions losing nutrition assistance even as national food insecurity reaches its highest level in over a decade?
With the main tracking report permanently canceled, how will billions in food aid be accurately distributed to those in need?
Hiding Hunger: The Political Battle Over USDA Food Security Data and the Consequences of SNAP Rollbacks
Overview
In 2025, the Trump administration enacted the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, slashing SNAP funding and tightening eligibility, which led to millions losing food assistance. Soon after, the USDA terminated its long-standing Household Food Security Report, creating a national data void that left policymakers and advocates unable to track hunger trends or the impact of these cuts. States like Maine and Nevada scrambled to launch their own surveys, while organizations such as Feeding America were forced to seek new, untested data sources. This loss of federal data made it harder to measure rising food insecurity, strained local food banks, and increased health and economic burdens nationwide.