MILWAUKEE — The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has canceled Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) food orders. This change could impact access to certain foods for Wisconsinites in need.

The program purchases food from farmers and sends it to emergency food providers and food pantries. 

What You Need To Know

  • The USDA canceled a food shipment for the Hunger Task Force

  • Hunger Task Force CEO Matt King said this represents 302,000 pounds of food valued at $615,000

  • King said Hunger Task force is asking for community donations to help support and backfill  

Each month, Hunger Task Force provides food for more than 50,000 people living in Wisconsin.

“Food comes from a variety of sources,” Matt King, CEO of Hunger Task Force, said. “Some of it is donated. Some of it is purchased. It comes from the food industry through donations. Some of it comes through the USDA.”

King said the USDA is one of the largest providers of food to food banks across the country.

Recently, King learned the USDA canceled orders that were set to arrive to the state between June and September. 

“Hunger Task Force was notified that the USDA has canceled several truckloads to the state of Wisconsin, representing over $2.2 million worth of food for food banks across Wisconsin,” King said.

King said the truckloads equate to about 302,000 pounds of food valued at $615,000 for Hunger Task Force in Milwaukee.

King said the products included primarily meat, cheese, eggs and milk. 

Statewide, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) said the cancelation was valued at $2.2 million, encompassing 1.1 million pounds of food.

“The Food Pantry Network throughout the country is reliant on the support from the USDA as is the farmers, growers and producers that participate in the program,” King said. “That is also part of the concern on our part: How this is going to affect the farmers, growers, who are counting on these shipments and purchases as part of their small business.” 

He said this disruption comes when there’s an increasing need in the community. Over the past year, visits to local food pantries have increased by 30%, according to King.

While this is causing an obstacle for Hunger Task Force, King said he is confident the community will help. He is also hopeful the USDA will continue shipments in the future. 

“Hunger Task Force has enough inventory to make sure that food is available for local children, seniors and families in their time of need,” King said. “People can still be reassured that there will still be access to food. It’s just a huge disruption to the operation and we’re going to have to look to the community to help support and backfill.”

Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin is also impacted by the USDA cancelation. Chief Development Officer Aaron Rice said the food bank is actively assessing all available methods to replace the loss of this critical support in order to mitigate the impact on those most in need. 

“We are deeply concerned about the impact this will have on our community, especially those already facing food insecurity,” Patti Habeck, president and CEO of Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin, said. “We are looking at every possible avenue to replace these lost resources and ensure that those who depend on our network still have access to the nutritious food they need.”

Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin said it is also seeking community help during this time.