The Iowa Hunger Coalition condemns the recent decision by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to cancel $500 million in funding for The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). The Iowa Hunger Coalition and our members call on USDA to immediately restore these food orders, and call on Iowa’s elected officials to advocate with USDA to reverse this disastrous decision.

“Food banks, food pantries, and other anti-hunger groups continue to see record-breaking numbers of Iowans turning to them for food assistance,” said Luke Elzinga, board chair of IHC. “Food insecurity rates continue to climb, and this will only make matters worse. Every single Iowan should be outraged at this decision by USDA.”

The $500 million in cuts come from eliminating additional TEFAP funding authorized through the Commodity Credit Corporation(CCC) at USDA.In Iowa, this will eliminate an estimated $3.8 million worth of food for food banks, food pantries, and the people they serve. Dozens of truckloads of meat, milk, cheese, and vegetables have been cancelled.

“TEFAP is our food pantry’s primary source of protein and dairy items,” said Nicole McAlexander, executive director of Southeast Linn Community Center. “With this funding cut it will be extremely difficult for us to continue to provide nutritious, well-balanced choices to our neighbors.”

“This is yet another debilitating blow to food pantries, food banks, farmers, and, most importantly, families struggling to afford food,” saidJohn Boller, executive director of the Coralville Community Food Pantry. “Like most pantries, we rely heavily on commodity food to keep our shelves and coolers stocked with nutrient-dense choices for our neighbors. In 2024, TEFAP provided a quarter of the food we distributed. Take away TEFAP and there’s no Coralville Community Food Pantry.”

“TEFAP is a critical resource for those of us fighting food insecurity,” said Matt Unger, CEO of the DMARC Food Pantry Network. “The nonprofit sector continues to be asked to do more and more as food insecurity rises and critical government resources face cuts.”

“At a time when food banks across our state are serving record breaking numbers of Iowans every month and struggling to keep their shelves stocked, further federal funding cuts are devastating,” said Paige Chickering with Save the Children Action Network. “Food insecurity is on the rise in Iowa. We need to dedicate more resources to this growing problem, not take away already sparse financial support.”