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Demanding the Trump Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to restore the funding that was cut for programs supporting Pennsylvania food banks and schools accessing local produce, which will endanger food security for vulnerable children and families in Philadelphia and further deepening the crisis of hunger in the City.
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WHEREAS, Despite climbing hunger rates in the United States, the USDA terminated the Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) program, which provides $470 million nationally and $13 million to the state of Pennsylvania, and the Local Food for Schools (PA-LFS) program, which provides $660 million nationally and $23 million to Pennsylvania schools; and
WHEREAS, Philadelphia’s food banks, such as Philabundance and the Share Food Program, had expected to receive large portions of funding from these programs, and cutting them will result in some food banks experiencing an 18% gap that food banks will have to try to fill with donated foods and funds; and
WHEREAS, Food banks in Philadelphia serve hundreds of thousands of families, and many utilize the LFPA funding to purchase healthy, high-quality foods from local farmers, while schools and childcare providers are able to use PA-LFS funding to source locally produced food to use for healthy and nutritious lunches for children; and
WHEREAS, These cuts not only harm recipients of Pennsylvania’s food banks and children in schools, but also severely impacts local farmers who benefited from the partnership and these programs. These farmers now face diminished income opportunities, jeopardizing their livelihoods and the sustainability of local food systems. The termination of this funding removes a vital revenue stream, threatening their ability to continue farming and undermining the regional agricultural economy; and
WHEREAS, The COVID-19 pandemic increased global food insecurity by reducing incomes and disrupting food supply chains. The LFPA and the PA-LFS were programs established during that time to try to address the issue of increased food security and was instituted to spur purchasing from underserved farmers and ranchers by food banks, schools and child care facilities; and
WHEREAS, Philadelphians of all ages rely on food banks and SNAP benefits to survive, as food prices in Philadelphia have risen by one of the highest rates in the country, and according to a study by Consumer Affairs, Pennsylvania saw the highest grocery inflation in 2023; and
WHEREAS, Food security is a fundamental right, and the health and well-being of children and families in Philadelphia depend on the continued availability of these vital programs to address hunger, malnutrition, and poverty in the City; and
WHEREAS, On March 25, 2025, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro formally requested that President Trump’s administration reconsider its decision to cancel the $13 million in funding from the LFPA program, which is crucial for supporting food banks, schools, and local agricultural producers in Pennsylvania. Governor Shapiro’s request underscores the importance of a coordinated intergovernmental approach in addressing food security, with local, state, and federal agencies working together to ensure that vulnerable populations, particularly children and families, continue to have access to nutritious food; and
WHEREAS, Cancelling the LFPA and the PA-LFS programs targets vulnerable Philadelphians and exacerbates food insecurity by reducing food bank supplies, and reducing fresh food access to schools. Failure to restore this funding will exacerbate the existing hunger crisis in Philadelphia, further entrenching inequality and placing undue strain on already struggling communities and organizations; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That we hereby demand the Trump Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) restore the funding that was cut for programs supporting Pennsylvania food banks and schools accessing local produce which will endanger food security for vulnerable children and families in Philadelphia and further deepening the crisis of hunger in the City.
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