Local food banks are feeling the pinch, and may be forced to offer less fresh produce, due to funding cuts to a federal program that connects them and some school districts with local farmers, as well as challenges from rising food prices.
The concern stems from the latest round of struggles for Ohio food banks, which have been exacerbated by policy changes, rising food costs, and a proposed state budget that would reduce funding for food banks to purchase food — all while Ohio food banks are experiencing record levels of need.
The United States Department of Agriculture recently canceled funding for the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA), which provides assistance to local food banks, schools, and organizations in underserved areas.
According to USA Today, LFPA agreements will continue, but there will be no additional funding this year.
The Mid-Ohio Food Collective, which provides food to over 20 Ohio counties, including Franklin County, is one of the organizations affected by the cut.
Mike Hochron, MOFC vice president for communications and public affairs, stated that the LFPA program provided the collective with more than $1 million in purchasing power.
“It is definitely a loss. It’s a minor issue in the grand scheme of things, according to Hochron. “If this were the only thing that went bad, and everything else stayed as it has in the last couple years, we would be in better shape.”
The purchasing program was ‘win-win-win’ for food banks, families, and farmers.
Hochran described the LFPA program as a ”win-win-win” because it benefited new farmers, food banks, and the families who received fresh produce. The LFPA assisted the Mid-Ohio Food Collective in sourcing protein for families, such as chicken and beef, while paying local farmers market prices.
“Really, it was about supporting farmers, building economic capacity within Ohio farmers, and then the beneficiaries of that were ultimately food banks and the families we serve,” Hochran told me.
The reduction in federal funding may result in less variety on the shelves for those who use local food banks, he said.
“If we have too many cuts in too many places, the total amount of food that we have is going to be reduced as well,” Hochran told the crowd. “So we’ll do the most we can with the resources that we have — but families coming to us for help might see some products that they’re hoping to find just aren’t on the shelves.”
According to Joree Novotny, executive director of the Ohio Association of Food Banks, the LFPA program received bipartisan support despite being funded through an executive branch spending program. She stated that the program assisted new farmers in expanding their operations and gaining practical experience in connecting with buyers.
“It is really going to cause hardship for local farmers, and we’re devastated about that,” she said. “And of course, we’re also really disappointed to lose what was really nutritious, wholesome, delicious food from local farmers in our food banks.”
The latest challenge for Ohio food banks is a reduction in food program funding.
Hochran stated that, in addition to the LFPA program’s elimination, food banks are dealing with rising costs for everything from eggs to food to fuel and other operational expenses. He also mentioned “unknowns” at the federal level, such as how President Donald Trump’s tariffs could affect food prices.
“Tariffs are just a huge question mark right now, and really have a tendency of hurting farmers, and then those things trickle down to us,” Hochran observed. “Rising food costs resulting from tariffs are another thing that could increase need.”
According to Novotny, Ohio food banks will face a $7.5 million reduction under Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s budget proposal.
She stated that she has been working to educate state legislators and the general public about how food banks help to cover the costs of farming by purchasing food that would otherwise go to waste because it cannot be sold in the retail market.
“We can offset their picking and packing and processing costs, just so they don’t take a loss on that product, and then bring that really healthy food into food banks and reduce that food waste,” Novotny told me.
Hochran and Novotny stated that, in addition to rising food costs and challenges for food banks, record-high demand for food bank services is stretching resources even further. Hochran reported that demand for food bank services in the region has increased by 40 to 60% since the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Novotny, in a survey of food bank recipients, two-thirds skipped meals to save money, and food bank demand reached a nearly 35-year high in the last six months of 2024.
“We can only do so much on our own, so we’re really kind of looking around and wondering how we’re going to be able to continue to meet need,” Novotny told me. “And I know that that’s not untrue for, you know, every consumer who is feeling pressure on their pocketbooks right now.”
