N※N

USDA cuts 30-year survey of food insecurity, St. Louis food groups discuss impact

  //food-wine.news-articles.net/content/2025/10/21 .. ecurity-st-louis-food-groups-discuss-impact.html
  Published in Food and Wine on Tuesday, October 21st 2025 at 17:13 GMT by firstalert4.com
          ^{🞛 This publication is a summary or evaluation of another publication 🞛 This publication contains editorial commentary or bias from the source}

312x156/11217 Bytes

173x224/19840 Bytes

245x206/9419 Bytes

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced that it will no longer conduct the 30‑year food‑insecurity survey, a decision that has sparked concern among food‑bank leaders, advocacy groups, and researchers across the country. In a gathering at the St. Louis Community Food Hub on October 21, 2025, several prominent local organizations—including the Greater St. Louis Food Bank, Feeding St. Louis, and the Missouri Food Policy Council—held a forum to discuss the implications of the USDA’s move and to outline strategies for maintaining visibility for people who rely on food‑assistance programs.

What the 30‑Year Survey Was and Why It Matched National Policy

The USDA’s long‑running survey, first initiated in 1995, gathered household‑level data on the prevalence, severity, and duration of food insecurity in the United States. The data were used to guide federal policy, monitor the impact of programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the National School Lunch Program, and support grantmaking for community food‑security initiatives. Over the decades, the survey helped illustrate how demographic shifts, economic cycles, and policy changes affected families across all regions.

The St. Louis forum highlighted that the survey’s findings had been instrumental in securing state and local funding for nutrition assistance. “We used the USDA data to demonstrate that nearly one in three families in St. Louis City were at risk of not having enough food,” said Maria Hernandez, executive director of Feeding St. Louis. “The survey provided the hard numbers that convinced the state legislature to allocate more resources to the Food Stamp program.”

Key Findings of the Survey Over the Past Three Decades

According to the USDA, the national rate of food insecurity declined from 12.8 % in 1995 to 8.3 % in 2022. However, the decline was uneven: rural areas and states with high poverty rates saw slower improvements, while urban centers like St. Louis experienced sharper declines due in part to expansion of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and increased school‑meal participation. The survey also highlighted the impact of economic shocks; for instance, the 2008 financial crisis saw a 1.2 % spike in food‑insecure households, but the numbers had largely recovered by 2010.

The St. Louis representatives underscored how these findings helped shape local policy, citing the city’s 2021 Food‑Security Initiative, which increased the funding for the St. Louis Food Bank by 15 % and expanded the “food‑bank‑on‑a‑bus” mobile program that brings groceries to underserved neighborhoods.

USDA’s Decision and the Rationale Behind the Cut

In a statement released by the USDA, the agency cited budgetary constraints and a shift in focus toward other data collection efforts. “The 30‑year survey is resource‑intensive and overlaps with newer digital monitoring tools,” the USDA explained. “We intend to use the data from the American Community Survey, the National Health Interview Survey, and administrative data from SNAP to continue tracking food insecurity trends.” While the USDA maintained that these sources would provide comparable insights, critics argue that they lack the depth and granularity of the original survey.

The St. Louis Food Bank’s CEO, Thomas R. Lee, expressed skepticism about the new data streams. “Administrative data can’t capture the nuances of food‑insecurity episodes,” Lee said. “Our clients experience food shortages daily, and the original survey helped us see those patterns over time. Without it, we risk losing visibility into the populations that need assistance the most.”

Local Impact and the Need for Continued Data

Without the 30‑year survey, local organizations fear that funding decisions will be made on incomplete or inaccurate data. Feeding St. Louis highlighted a recent case where the state’s budget committee relied on outdated figures from 2018 and missed a surge in food‑insecurity rates among young families. The group has petitioned the Missouri legislature to maintain independent food‑security monitoring.

The Missouri Food Policy Council presented a proposal for a joint task force that would collect and analyze food‑security data at the county level. The council’s plan includes quarterly surveys, real‑time data dashboards, and collaboration with community health workers to ensure the data remains grounded in local realities.

Potential Alternatives and Future Directions

During the forum, several participants suggested alternative approaches to maintain data collection. One proposal involves partnering with the Department of Health and Human Services to embed food‑insecurity questions into the National Health Interview Survey. Another idea is to leverage technology: mobile apps that allow residents to report food availability in real time could provide a more dynamic picture of food insecurity.

The St. Louis City Council’s Food Policy Committee announced a grant program to fund pilot projects that would test these ideas. “We’re committed to ensuring that our residents have access to reliable data so that we can continue to advocate for equitable resources,” said Councilmember Lila Patel.

Conclusion

The USDA’s decision to discontinue its 30‑year food‑insecurity survey marks a significant shift in how the nation tracks one of its most pressing social issues. While the agency points to alternative data sources, the experience of St. Louis food‑security advocates suggests that the survey’s depth and continuity were invaluable for informing policy and ensuring that vulnerable populations receive the support they need. As the local community mobilizes to fill the gap, the conversation underscores the critical importance of comprehensive, long‑term data in addressing food insecurity across the United States.