September 25, 2025 - SACRAMENTO, CA — Following the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) cancellation of the longstanding annual food insecurity survey, the California Budget & Policy Center (Budget Center), a nonpartisan research and analysis nonprofit, issued the following statement from its communications director, Mauricio Torres:
“The recent decision by the Trump administration to terminate the USDA’s decades-old annual food insecurity survey is deeply disappointing.
“Without this survey, policymakers, researchers, and advocates lose a valuable tool for tracking hunger trends across states and demographic groups — effectively flying blind in assessing how many families struggle to put food on the table.
“At a time when food prices continue to rise and federal nutrition assistance and other supports have been slashed by the Republican mega bill H.R. 1, we know that hunger will rise. Eliminating this data source allows the Trump administration to dodge responsibility for policy decisions that increase suffering and will hinder the ability to quantify and address those effects.
“Reliable, government-reported data are essential not just for tracking hunger, but for informing all aspects of public policy. This data, along with others like it, underpins decisions on infrastructure, economic development, public services, and numerous other areas where governments, organizations, and businesses must rely on accurate information. Weakening the data compromises the ability to make sound, informed decisions that affect all Americans.
“We call on the federal administration to restore this vital survey and safeguard the integrity of our nation’s data collection efforts. Without reliable information, policymakers cannot fully understand or address the hunger families face.”
About the California Budget & Policy Center:
The California Budget & Policy Center (Budget Center) is a nonpartisan research and analysis nonprofit advancing public policies that expand opportunities and promote well-being for all Californians.
Source: California Budget & Policy Center
