Trump administration cuts funding for Illinois food assistance programs

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WTVO) — The Illinois Department of Agriculture announced that two programs were being discontinued after the Trump administration cut funding.

According to the IDOA, the Local Food Purchase Assistance Program (LFPA) and the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program (RFSI) would be shut down.

Funded through the American Rescue Plan, the LFPA reimbursed local governments for buying food from farmers and distributing it, via food pantries, at no cost.

More than 170 farmers have supplied food to 883 locations through the supported Illinois-EATS program.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) approved $43 million for Illinois to fund the program for several years, starting in 2022, but the state is still missing $17.8 million, according to the IDOA.

The RFSI program provided grants to strengthen mid-supply chain infrastructure, like processing and distribution. Illinois received $5 million in 2024.

The IDOA said the USDA notified states that invoices would be processed only for costs incurred on or prior to January 19th, 2025.

“Cutting funds for these programs is a slap in the face to Illinois farmers and the communities they feed,” said Gov. JB Pritzker. “The Trump Administration’s refusal to release grant funds doesn’t just hurt farmers in the program, it devastates our most vulnerable, food-insecure communities relying on meat, fresh produce and other nutritious donations.”

No reason was given for the cuts, but the Trump administration has made it a priority to reduce taxpayer spending within the federal government, utilizing recommendations from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to trim redundancy and waste