On Saturday, September 20, 2025, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it would be terminating the USDA Economic Research Service (ERS) annual Household Food Security Report. The Iowa Hunger Coalition has issued the following statement in response:
This announcement from USDA leaves us with few answers, many questions, and a whole host of concerns. The five-sentence press release from USDA was heavy on rhetoric and light on details. But what we do know is that Iowans and all Americans will be losing a critical, reliable source of information on food insecurity in our country.
Halting data collection and reporting on food insecurity will not make this growing problem disappear. With the impacts of the largest cut to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in history looming, now is the time to be paying more attention to the rate of hunger in our nation, not do away with one of the most significant reports the federal government compiles on food insecurity. The decision by USDA appears to be part of the Trump administration’s broader push to eliminate independent governmental data and statistics.
The Iowa Hunger Coalition calls on our elected U.S. Representatives and Senators to investigate the rationale behind USDA’s decision to eliminate the annual Household Food Security Report and any consequences that may come as a result.