President Donald Trump is proposing to slash non-defense spending by nearly 23% in a fiscal 2026 budget that recommends a $5 billion cut to USDA programs, including agricultural research, international food aid, conservation technical assistance to farmers, and rural development.
USDA's budget would be reduced by more than 18% from existing levels. The budget proposal, released Friday, doesn’t cover mandatory spending programs at USDA such as commodity programs, crop insurance, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and school meals.
While proposing to cut non-defense spending by $163 billion in FY26, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Make America Healthy Again initiative is a clear winner in the White House plan.
Kennedy would get $500 million to build on the work of the MAHA Commission, which Trump created in an executive order the same day as Kennedy’s confirmation. The funds will allow Kennedy to “tackle nutrition, physical activity, healthy lifestyles, over-reliance on medication and treatments, the effects of new technological habits, environmental impacts, and food and drug quality and safety” across the agency.
Much of the MAHA Commission’s work has happened behind closed doors, but the panel is expected to release a report with their analysis of the potential causes of the chronic disease rates in children. The group was expected to study possible causes like diets, environmental factors, government policies and food production techniques.
Under the USDA portion of the budget request, the Commodity Supplemental Food Program would be eliminated and replaced with “MAHA food boxes.” CSFP provides seniors with healthy foods through monthly boxes and currently serves about 619,000 seniors with incomes at or below 130% of the federal poverty line, according to Feeding America.
MAHA food boxes would be filled with commodities sourced from domestic farmers and provided directly to households, and mirrors the approach of boxing commodities used during the end of the first Trump administration during the COVID-19 pandemic. This system would “remove administrative middlemen” and not use food banks. The description of the request criticizes food banks for providing shelf-stable foods high in sodium and other “harmful ingredients.”
The Food for Peace international food aid program, which is now operated out of the State Department, and USDA’s McGovern-Dole international school feeding programs would be abolished to save more than $1.8 billion.
Conservation technical assistance provided to farmers through USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service would be slashed by $754 million.
The National Institute of Food and Agriculture, which funds agricultural research at land-grant universities and other institutions, would be cut by $602 million.
“The budget eliminates wasteful, woke programming in NIFA, such as activities related to climate change, renewable energy, and promoting DEI in education that were prioritized under the Biden Administration,” the budget summary says.
Cut through the clutter! We deliver the news you need to stay informed about farm, food and rural issues. Sign up for a FREE month of Agri-Pulse here.
USDA Rural Development programs, including financing for community facilities and high-speed internet service, would be cut by $721 million.
RD programs “are streamlined to focus on programs that have demonstrated efficient results and are an appropriate federal role,” the budget summary says. “Infrastructure loans are prioritized for aging rural water and wastewater systems” and “specialty water grants and earmarks are not funded except where the tax base cannot support loans.”
Community facility grants would be abolished, and no new funding for broadband is provided “as existing balances and other federal resources are meeting planned growth.”
Just two areas of USDA would get modest funding increases; An additional $74 million would be provided for rental assistance grants, and the Food Safety Inspection Service, which oversees the safety of meat, poultry and egg production, would get an increase of $15 million. Some of those funds for FSIS could support cooperative agreements with states that complete their own equivalent inspections.
A leaked version of the HHS budget included a provision suggesting all Food and Drug Administration routine food safety inspections would shift to the states. Already, several states have cooperative agreements with the federal government. Food safety experts argue this option could be more cost-effective, but would still require additional funds from Congress to support the state efforts.
There does not appear to be an explicit provision finalizing this move in the budget.
For more news, go to Agri-Pulse.com.
