Central Texas Food Bank loses federal funding

Central Texas Food Bank loses funding

The federal government is taking a bite out of funding. The United States Department of Agriculture has cut money from flowing into two main programs.

AUSTIN, Texas - The federal government is taking a bite out of funding. 

The United States Department of Agriculture has cut money from flowing into two main programs. 

The programs allow the Central Texas Food Bank to feed families while supporting farmers and providing healthier school options. 

Funding cuts for the Central Texas Food Bank

What they're saying:

"These recent cuts were through a program called the CCC, the Commodity Credit Corporation, which was created under the previous administration," said Beth Corbett, Vice President of Government Affairs and Advocacy at the CTFB.

More than $1 billion was ended for programs that allow food banks and schools to purchase healthful foods from farmers and ranchers, like the Emergency Food Assistance Program or TFAP. 

"These programs don't just help food banks provide access to healthy food for families, they also provide critical support for the agricultural sector, for farmers and ranchers," said Corbett. 

The USDA has already canceled hundreds of millions of dollars in food purchases as part of the White House's mission to shrink spending.

"For our food bank, that resulted in 40 truckloads of USDA foods that we will now not receive. That's the equivalent of about 716,000 meals," said Corbett. 

These cutbacks come when more Central Texans seek their services than they did at the height of the pandemic. 

If these programs are not replaced, Corbett fears that it could mean less food overall. 

"If these cuts are sustained and not replaced with new programming, I think we could certainly expect to see less food on the shelves," said Corbett. 

However, she remains hopeful. 

"We're hopeful that the new administration is looking at new programs and that we can help to inform what those might look like," said Corbett. 

What's next:

Corbett said the USDA has approved additional purchases for TFAP foods for roughly $260 million, but it will be a while before they see those deliveries.