USDA Reorganization Draws Concern from Anti-Hunger Advocates
On July 24, 2025, without any prior notification to Congress or stakeholders, the USDA announced that it would be undergoing a reorganization process in an effort to return to their so-called “core mission” of serving American farmers, ranchers, and foresters. But counter to these claims, this “reorganization” could significantly delay the delivery of essential services and drain the department of expert knowledge.
In her announcement, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins asserted that this effort would be accomplished by vacating buildings, consolidating regional offices, and relocating the National Capital Region (NCR) workforce in an effort to reduce it by more than half, from 4,600 to 2,000 staff. While framed as an efficiency measure, this plan carries alarming implications for millions who rely on the essential nutrition assistance programs the agency carries out.
USDA’s plan purports to reduce bureaucracy, but it offers little assurance that program participants will get timely, reliable support. Programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), school meals, and summer food programs risk becoming harder to access.
In addition to workforce reductions, the proposal calls for closing the Food and Nutrition Services headquarters and reducing regional offices from seven to five, which will disrupt long-standing relationships with state and local partners. This loss of institutional knowledge could make it harder for SNAP recipients and administrators to access accurate information at a time when Congress is directing new, convoluted cuts and changes to the program.
While USDA claims the shift will improve service delivery, it prioritizes efficiency on paper over stability in practice. Sen. Amy Klobuchar voiced concerns during a recent Senate Agriculture Committee hearing on July 30, stating: “We have a half-baked agenda that will almost certainly result here in worse services for farmers, families, and rural communities.”
There is precedent for her concern. The previous relocation of the Economic Research Service (ERS) and National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) under the first Trump Administration led to a significant drop in workforce, delays in grant processing, and loss of expertise.
At MAZON, we work with partners across the country who are already stretched thin trying to meet rising needs. What they need from USDA is reliability, not restructuring. The USDA insists this reorganization will not interfere with ongoing research or critical service delivery. But history, and the absence of a clear implementation plan, suggest otherwise.
Changes to federal agencies must be transparent, accountable, and rooted in the needs of the people they serve. USDA’s reorganization may save money, but it must not come at the cost of food access or the communities that can least afford disruption.
We urge USDA to listen to stakeholders, reverse course, and ensure that its “core mission” doesn’t fail to deliver for the Americans that need it most.
Read MAZON’s full comment to the USDA here.