Tiny Red HandsBack

USDA canceled 94 million pounds of planned food-bank deliveries

Date
2025-10-08
Entry type
food-assistance-cut
Current status
ProPublica reconstructed the undelivered 2025 orders from USDA records

The cut removed U.S.-produced meat, dairy, eggs, and produce from food banks while also eliminating farm sales.

Entities and roles

Relationships in this file

  1. Elon Muskcut farm-to-food-bank deliveriesU.S. Department of Agriculture
  2. Donald J. TrumpTrump-appointed senior adviser who led DOGE workElon Musk
  3. Donald J. TrumpTrump-appointed OMB director and acting CFPB directorRussell Vought

Money trail

  1. lossCanceled domestic food purchasesapproximately $500 million
    Reported loss source
    U.S. Department of Agriculture
    Reported gain recipient
    Canceled farm and distributor orders
    Loss or cost borne by
    Food-bank clients and U.S. agricultural producers
    reported · 2025-10-08 · observedPopulation USDA farm-to-food-bank purchasesPeriod 2025-01-20 to 2025-10-08Basis USDA program records analyzed by ProPublica.Limits Rounded planned purchase value; final farmer and distributor losses vary.Open cited evidence

Claims and evidence

  1. factdocumented

    USDA records obtained by ProPublica showed the administration canceled approximately $500 million in planned 2025 food purchases, amounting to 94 million pounds that did not reach food banks; intended recipients lost food and producers lost sales.

  2. factdocumented

    Elon Musk was the Trump-appointed senior adviser who led DOGE work.

  3. factdocumented

    Russell Vought was the Trump-appointed OMB director and acting CFPB director.

Measurements

  1. Canceled food-bank deliveries94 million pounds
    Basis
    Observed
    Population
    USDA-planned 2025 deliveries to food banks
    Period
    2025-01-20 to 2025-10-08
    Method
    ProPublica item-level reconstruction from USDA planned-delivery records.
    Uncertainty
    Canceled planned deliveries, not food physically destroyed.