USDA Saves $1 Billion by Ending 2 Buy-Local Food Programs

The programs, which helped schools and food banks buy locally produced food, began during the pandemic and should be retired, the department says.

Cafeteria workers serve lunch at Medora Elementary School in Louisville, Ky., on March 17, 2021. Jon Cherry/Getty Images

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has ended two Biden-era programs that provided billions of dollars to schools and food banks to purchase food from local farms and ranchers over recent years.

The canceled funding includes $660 million for the Local Food for Schools (LFS) program, which helped schools and child care centers buy domestic food; and $420 million for the Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) program, which helped governments buy domestic food for food banks and other organizations.