Latest from Food Politics: More tragedy: USDA renames, splits up, relocates SNAP services

Last week, I wrote about what I consider to be a national tragedy: the splitting up and relocation of crucial USDA units. The latest is USDA’s renaming, splitting up, and relocating the Food and Nutrition Service, the agency responsible for running ...

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By Marion Nestle May 05 2026 More tragedy: USDA renames, splits up, relocates SNAP services Last week, I wrote about what I consider to be a national tragedy: the splitting up and relocation of crucial USDA units. The latest is USDA’s renaming, splitting up, and relocating the Food and Nutrition Service, the agency responsible for running SNAP and other food assistance programs. USDA’s actions: I.  Rename the Food and Nutrition Service; it is now to be The Food and Nutrition Administration Translation: Serving low-income Americans is no longer part of USDA’s mission; management is. II.  Split the FNA into multiple units. Translation: Make sure food assistance is splintered and uncoordinated. III.  Relocate the units into widely separated areas.  Child nutrition programs go to Dallas, TX; SNAP and safety go to Kansas City, MO; research goes to Raleigh, NC; emergency management goes to Denver, Co; retailer compliance goes to four cities–Atlanta, Los Angeles, Dallas, and New York. Translation: Get rid of experts on food assistance who actually know how to make these programs work and who care about ending hunger in America, especially among women and young children. IV.  Keep the overall FNA administrator in Washington, DC. Translation: Give the appearance of oversight, now impossible given the geographical dispersion. USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins posted this announcement on X (formerly Twitter).  Note her Trump-capitalized explanation: We’re moving the NEW Food and Nutrition Administration out of DC and into the heartland where it belongs. Shifting staff CLOSER to those they support, makes us MORE efficient and responsive to the millions of families touched by USDA nutrition programs. Delivering faster, better service for families who need nutrition assistance and stronger support for American farmers who grow the food on their tables. We are laser focused on serving the American people with greater efficiency. And this reorganization will do just that. Yeah, right. My translation: USDAis systematically doing everything it can get away with to destroy SNAP, decrease participation, and make it impossibly difficult for eligible low-income Americans to enroll in food assistance. You don’t agree?  Watch what happens to SNAP enrollments. Decreases are already happening, as shown by ProPublica’s data from Arizona. If USDA doesn’t have staff who know how to do things, people will not be able to enroll.  And that’s the whole point of the renaming, reorganization, and relocation. Additional thoughts Former USDA official Jerry Mande wrote in a post on X, “during Trump’s 1st term USDA spent about $18m to move FNS to Braddock Pl. USDA signed a 15 yr lease in 2020. Those $$ are being squandered.”  His post also includes GAO data on the loss of experienced staff at USDA. GAO report on the effects of moving USDA on staff expertise in the Economic Research Service. An earlier 2022 GAO report on why relocating USDA units was not a good idea Congressional Research Service report (2026) on authority for USDA’s reorganization The post More tragedy: USDA renames, splits up, relocates SNAP services appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle      Related Posts USDA is closing buildings, relocating staff, and downsizing—a lot. American tragedy redux: USDA is relocating more programs out of the DC area Just as expected, SNAP participation is declining, and by a lot   Now Available: What to Eat Now My new book, What to Eat Now, is officially out! It's both a field guide to food shopping in America and a reflection on how to eat well—and deliciously. For more information and to order, click here. You can explore the full archive of this (almost) daily blog at foodpolitics.com, where you'll also find information about my books, articles, media interviews, upcoming lectures, favorite resources, and FAQs. Visit the Site » ​​​​​​​ Marion Nestle Paulette Goddard Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health at New York University, Emerita © Marion Nestle. You're receiving this email because you've signed up to receive updates from us. If you'd prefer not to receive updates, you can unsubscribe. Safely Unsubscribe • Archives • Preferences • Contact • Subscribe • Privacy

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