Oklahoma food banks brace for impact of USDA funding cuts

Oklahoma food banks are preparing to fill gaps left by cuts announced, and expected, at the USDA.

The federal government supports food assistance programs, primarily through SNAP benefits.

The Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma has plenty of local support—everything from volunteers who package produce to school students who collect canned goods to donate. But the Food Bank also relies on the USDA to provide both funding and commodities to decrease hunger.

The USDA has already announced plans to eliminate some Biden-era programs that assisted schools in buying locally produced farm commodities. Chris Bernard, CEO of Hunger Free America, estimates Oklahoma will lose $25 million from the USDA cuts already announced, and that farmers will feel it first.

“That was money flowing to food banks and schools to help buy local products from local farmers—meat, eggs, and produce,” he said.

Bernard said Oklahoma food banks have seen a 20% increase in requests for assistance in the last two years, and he expects that to increase just as the government is reducing funding.

"It's not unreasonable to say 30% of Oklahomans rely on this system and we're seeing talk of cuts at every point, and that's concerning," said Bernard, "There's no discussion of how to make it better, just how to make it smaller."

He estimated SNAP benefits amount to $1 billion each year in Oklahoma, and worries cuts to the largest food assistance program would have consequences for grocery stores and producers along with people seeking food assistance.