The 2025 Government Shutdown and Louisiana’s Food System

For a list of anticipated impacts and their corresponding timelines, please refer to our living document, available here. 

November 7th:

SNAP is not merely a line item in a budget; it is a lifeline for families. On November 5, Louisianans who had already experienced stress and confusion about whether they would receive their monthly SNAP benefits saw the 0 to 25 percent of those benefits, which had already been deposited, were suddenly retracted.

Hunger and food insecurity are about growling stomachs and missed meals, but they are also about the accumulated stress of poverty. The planning, scrimping, and fear that come with not knowing where the next meal will come from create stress that ripples through families. For children trying to learn and grow into the next generation of leaders, the effects are amplified.

Research shows that when families face food insecurity, or even the perception or anxiety of not having enough food, children’s mental health, behavior, and development suffer. 

Parents in food-insecure households report higher levels of stress, depression, and anxiety. Children are more likely to experience behavioral and emotional problems, have poorer diet quality, reduced school readiness, and developmental challenges. These are not just the effects of hunger; they stem from stress, uncertainty, compromised parenting, and disrupted family stability.

In short, not only access to food but also the perception of access to food is a foundation for childhood development, family mental health, and long-term social and economic well-being.

For many Louisianans, especially in rural areas and communities still recovering from natural disasters, inflation, and economic hardship, SNAP means the difference between a full pantry and an empty one. The withdrawal and reduction of these benefits place an unbearable burden on families already struggling to meet basic needs.

This decision to retract and partially reissue benefits today will harm individuals and ripple through our local economies. Every dollar in SNAP benefits generates local spending in grocery stores, farmers' markets, and small businesses. Reducing benefits means less economic activity, particularly in our most vulnerable parishes.

The state of Louisiana stepped up to fund SNAP benefits during the first days of November. It was a proud moment to see our state resist external pressure and prioritize its residents, a rare bipartisan moment of hope. While we understand that budgetary and logistical challenges move quickly and often beyond public view, our sentiment is clear: don’t mess with grocery money.

We cannot undo what has been done, but we ask those with power to communicate more clearly, kindly, and transparently with Louisiana’s hungry families. There can be no broader calm and stability for our state without first providing calm and stability to its people.

October 31st: The Louisiana Food Policy Council condemns the federal government shutdown and the harm it causes to our state’s food system and communities. In Louisiana, where far too many families already struggle with food insecurity, the interruption of federal programs puts additional strain on households and the organizations that critically support them. This situation is far beyond partisan blame. While we believe in the power of a community to protect itself, the scale of the systems to support the vulnerable in our country can’t be supplanted by mutual aid or community care at the drop of a hat. A government is meant to protect and govern; right now, it is failing to do either, and instead perpetuating instability, fear, and chaos. 

This shutdown endangers vital nutrition assistance programs such as SNAP and WIC, which provide essential support for low-income families. These programs are already weakened by policy decisions at both the state and federal levels. We fear that, combined with the restructuring of SNAP benefits taking place due to the 2025 state legislative session, we may face a “perfect storm” of federal dysfunction and state disruption. Any delay or suspension of benefits will have immediate consequences for hunger and health in our communities. Currently, SNAP benefits are being processed through contingency funds and emergency reserves, but if the shutdown continues, food assistance could be threatened by exhausted reserves or a lack of administrative funding.

School meals and community feeding programs rely on steady federal funding and purchasing contracts, some of which directly support Louisiana farmers. Disruptions to these programs will harm students who depend on daily meals and the businesses that supply them.

Our food system is complex, and its stress does not fall solely on struggling families. This shutdown also undermines the ability of farmers and food producers to access time-sensitive USDA services, including farm loans, disaster relief, conservation programs, contract payments, technical assistance, and market and crop data reports. Without timely access to these supports, producers face escalating financial risk and uncertainty that likely extends far beyond the end of any shutdown. At present, the full scale of consequences is unclear, but what is unmistakable is that we are operating on shifting ground. Regardless of the magnitude of impacts, ongoing instability is the direct consequence of policy failures. The instability of our farms means the instability of our entire food system. 

Lastly, it is worth highlighting and condemning one particular political tactic we are observing during this appropriations process. The Administration has suggested that agencies use this furlough to potentially illegally further a Reduction in Force (RIF)– a.k.a. terminate a significant portion of remaining federal agency staff. This threat-based tactic is dangerous and undermines democracy as a project where people are represented by elected officials who work together to find the best solutions for those that they collectively represent. We reject any attempts to force elected officials to vote for an appropriations package that betrays the needs of their constituents to save the long-term ability of the federal government to function and deliver baseline services to people.

A prolonged shutdown will deepen food insecurity, disrupt supply chains, weaken local food economies, and exacerbate hardship for Louisiana families. This chaos takes a measurable toll on mental health and, in turn, on our communities. That exhaustion we all feel matters. 

We call on federal leaders to immediately restore government operations and prioritize the stability of our food system. To prioritize the stability of our country. We call on both parties in power to stop using struggling families as political pawns. The well-being of our people, our farmers, and our communities must never be held hostage to political gridlock.