Food Policy in the Federal Budget 🍅 🏛 🥕 💰 🫛
No doubt by now you have heard about the "Big Beautiful Bill" moving through the federal government, but there is so much information in there that it can be hard to decipher the potential outcomes and impacts of all that is included.
Many outlets have been sharing breakdowns of the bill as it is debated and amended, and it is possible for more changes to be made. Here is a quick overview of how this bill will impact Food Policy issues in Arizona and across the nation.
SNAP State Costs: Starting in FY2028, States would shoulder 5% of benefit costs and 75% of the administrative costs. Currently, states pay 0% of the benefit and 50% of the administrative costs. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 12% of Arizona's population received benefits from SNAP in 2025, with 68% of those being families with children. These changes mean that the Arizona state budget will require an increase of over $28 million from the state budget to cover costs.
Work Requirements for SNAP: The bill would also expand work requirements to receive SNAP. Currently, able-bodied adults ages 18-54 without dependents must fulfill work requirements of at least 80 hours a month, but those with dependents under 18, who are pregnant, are Veterans, who are currently homeless, or who are in foster care are exempt from work requirements. Under the new bill work requirements would increase to age 64, and only exempt those with dependents under 7 years old.
School Food Programs: The USDA’s proposed budget budget also zeros out future funding for the McGovern-Dole international food aid program, which buys food from American farms for school meals in low-income countries.
WIC: Under the USDA's proposed budget to meet spending cuts, it is proposed that they can roll back a pandemic-era change to the Supplemental Assistance Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) that allowed families to buy more fruits and vegetables.
Agriculture: Over the last week, agencies have released budget proposals on how they would cut spending to align with the Big Beautiful Bill. The Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) is proposing a $6.7 billion cut in discretionary spending, including $784 million from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). This would eliminate discretionary funds for conservation technical assistance, which helps farmers fund projects like planting cover crops and installing fencing.
Farmers: The legislation covers a huge number of programs that impacts large and small scale farms differently. A breakdown by the Farm Bureau highlights increases a nearly increase in new money for agriculture programs, including raising price guarantees for major covered commodities by 11-21% including corn, wheat, soy, cotton and more. It also increases funding for the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, guaranteeing annual funding after 2026. But these programs mostly help large scale agriculture productions. Smaller farmers note that the subsidies do not support local food programs, key aspects to a healthy local food system. The bill cuts more than $1 million from Local Food Programs like Local Food Purchase Assistance and the Local Food for Schools.
The bill is still being debated in the House, so there is still time to make your concerns and spending priorities known. Find your House Representatives at this link and make your opinions heard!
