Washington, Sep 30, 2025 – Several US states are shutting down nutrition and health education programs after funding from the US Department of Agriculture’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) was eliminated under President Donald Trump’s new spending bill.

Federal Cuts Hit Schools and Nonprofits

The budget decision, effective September 30, is forcing schools, food banks, and nonprofit organizations to end programs that taught low-income families about healthy eating, cooking, and exercise.

In San Francisco, senior residents recently joined their last dance and wellness session hosted by Leah’s Pantry, a nonprofit that has run community nutrition programs since 2006. The organization faces a 90% funding cut, which will drastically reduce its activities.

“It’s definitely a catastrophic situation for public health nutrition,” said Adrienne Markworth, founder and executive director of Leah’s Pantry.

SNAP-Ed: A Key Support Program Since 1992

Since its launch in 1992, SNAP-Ed has invested more than $9 billion in programs like cooking classes, school gardens, and health workshops. In 2022 alone, SNAP-Ed reached 1.8 million people, according to USDA data.

Supporters argue the program directly supported the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) goals set by the Trump administration, which aimed to reduce childhood chronic disease.

Impact on Communities

For many organizations, SNAP-Ed was the largest source of federal nutrition education funding.

• In Milwaukee, nonprofit FoodRight has taught more than 1,200 public school students annually to cook healthy meals. CEO Lisa Kingery warned, “When we cut SNAP-Ed, we’re cutting kids off from the skills they need to be healthy.”

Political Debate Over Effectiveness

Republican lawmakers defended the cuts, claiming SNAP-Ed was ineffective and duplicative. They cited a 2019 Government Accountability Office report that flagged gaps in USDA’s oversight.

However, program experts say the USDA has already addressed those concerns.

• Chris Mornick, SNAP-Ed Program Manager for Washington State, said the program had shown measurable results.

• Cindy Long, former USDA deputy undersecretary for nutrition, added: “SNAP-Ed efforts were evidence-based, and the idea that they were duplicative doesn’t really hold up.”

What’s Next for States?

Some states will end all SNAP-Ed programs immediately, while others plan to use remaining 2025 funds to run a limited schedule before shutting down operations.

The cuts mark the first wave of reductions in federal nutrition programs under the new tax-and-spending bill, which also tightened work requirements for aid recipients and shifted more responsibility to states.