Let’s Talk… Ending Hunger
California Continues To Fight Hunger As Federal Cuts Deepen Food Insecurity and Inequality
September 29, 2025
For millions of Americans, access to healthy, fresh, and affordable food is out of reach, with the cost of groceries due to inflation rising and correspondingly food insecurity rates climbing. Unfortunately, at a time when government programs are needed the most, recent Trump Administration policy changes and budget cuts have significantly reduced or curtailed the food assistance programs available to help individuals and families across our country. The Administration even ended the long-running Economic Research Services’ Household Food Security Reports, eliminating a key national dataset which measures hunger. These drastic changes have increased economic inequality and pushed more families deeper into the realm of food insecurity and hunger.
Thankfully, California is charting a different course. State leaders continue to advance commonsense, equity-focused policies that have proven effective in fighting hunger and supporting child nutrition. At a time when our nation’s most basic values are under threat, California’s elected officials have never wavered in their commitment to fighting food insecurity.
Federal Attacks on Food Security
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is our country’s first line of defense and its most effective tool against hunger. Yet, the Trump Administration’s so-called “Big, Beautiful Bill” makes it harder to access SNAP and easier to lose essential benefits. Specifically, work requirements have now been expanded to include parents of teenagers, adults up to age 64, veterans, and even people experiencing homelessness. However, we already know that work requirements have been unsuccessful in better targeting benefit allocations nor saving money. The state of Georgia adopted a food assistance program model which included work requirements and, in just two years, it has cost taxpayers nearly $100 million, and only enrolled around 8,000 residents.
According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the federal budget cuts will eliminate 2.4 million people from the SNAP roles, with families already living on the edge of poverty losing an average of $1,200 in food assistance annually. As the CBO put it in its analysis of H.R. 1: “In general, resources will decrease for households toward the bottom of the income distribution, whereas resources will increase for households in the middle and toward the top.”
At the same time these SNAP changes are taking place, the Administration has eliminated nutrition programs that direct more than $1 billion a year to schools and food banks in partnership with local farmers. Such programs include the Local Food Purchase Assistance program and the Local Food for Schools program, which helped connect students to fresh, locally grown produce and strengthen regional food systems. Without federal support, the cost of sustaining these efforts and providing these services has shifted to the states.
The changes enacted by the federal government aren’t about encouraging work or saving money. They’re about punishing poverty. The result: families are forced to choose between food, rent, healthcare and other basic needs while food banks and community organizations are left overstretched and overwhelmed.
Why State Action Matters Now
As Washington D.C. turns its back on children and families, California is stepping up to ensure that access to nutritious meals remains a right, not a privilege. The stakes are especially high here: Governor Newsom’s Administration estimates 735,000 people could lose food stamps, while early projections from the Urban Institute suggest 3.1 million California families may lose at least some of their food assistance. The Public Policy Institute of California notes that currently about one in three newborns in the state relies on SNAP, underscoring how deeply these cuts ripple through households.
The impact doesn’t stop there – because federal reimbursements for school meals are tied to SNAP enrollment, fewer families on SNAP means fewer federal dollars flowing to schools. Fortunately, California protects its students from these federal shortfalls by filling the gap – sustaining the investment in our groundbreaking School Meals for All program, which ensures that every child continues to have access to healthy meals at school.
California’s Major Budget Wins
Despite a difficult fiscal year and the looming federal budget cuts, NextGen worked closely with our partners to continue leading the fight against hunger, especially childhood hunger. We organized legislative briefings, lifted up stories from those directly affected, and mobilized grassroots campaigns through petitions, texts, and letters to legislators and the Governor. Together, these efforts reinforce California’s leadership, reflect our shared values, and were major wins:
- School Meals for All: Fully funded for 2026, with a $90.7 million increase to accommodate growing student participation and the program’s continued success. A recent study found that states with universal free school meals see a 12% reduction in household food insecurity — further underscoring the importance of this investment.
- Healthy School Food Pathway Program: $10 million for a one-year extension of this first-in-the-nation apprenticeship program – the first federally and state-registered apprenticeship and workforce pipeline focused on school nutrition. It provides hands-on career development and training in preparing fresh, locally sourced, healthy meals for students.
- Kitchen Infrastructure and Training (KIT) Program: $145 million to help ensure that schools have the equipment and skills training needed to prepare fresh, nutritious food.
- California Farm to School Incubator Grant Program: Fully funded at $24.9 million to expand access to local food and connect schools with farmers.
- CalFood: $60M for a critical anti-hunger program that enables food banks to purchase California grown foods to distribute to those experiencing hunger.
Next Step in Healthier Meals
NextGen is also supporting AB 1264 (Gabriel), the Real Food, Healthy Kids Act, a groundbreaking bill that will phase out ultra-processed foods from school meals. These ultra-processed products are linked to cancer, heart disease, and metabolic disorders. Despite strong opposition from powerful food and beverage industries, AB 1264 represents a science-based, student-centered approach that puts children’s health first.
At a time when federal cuts to nutrition and health programs are widening, this bill represents an opportunity to prioritize student well-being and promote equitable access to healthy meals. These federal cuts, in particular, harm low-income communities which are disproportionately targeted by unhealthy food marketing campaigns and face heightened risk for chronic diseases tied to poor nutrition.
The Road Ahead
Food insecurity is not just about hunger — it’s about equity. Black, Latino, and low-income families continue to be disproportionately impacted, and federal rollbacks will only worsen these disparities. California shows what’s possible: bold investments and innovative policies can build a healthier, more resilient food system.
At NextGen, we’re already preparing for the next legislative cycle and working with our partners to defend and expand these programs and ensure California continues to lead where Washington D.C. has failed.
Thanks for reading,
