This program helps Tarrant food bank get fresh produce to families. Why cut it now?

Food banks across Texas have seen a staggering increase in demand for their services as families struggle to make ends meet amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Just in the Tarrant County area alone, Tarrant Area Food Bank has seen a 47.5% increase in the number of families we serve. Now a critical program that helps feed families and support Texas farmers is on the chopping block.

In response to the governor’s request that all state agencies reduce their budgets by 5% for the rest of the 2020-21 budget cycle, the Texas Department of Agriculture has proposed cutting 44% from the Surplus Agricultural Products Grant program. This devastating cut would take away $1.9 million that would help food banks feed hungry families. It also means 15.2 million pounds of produce across the state will go to waste instead of providing nutritious meals.

For nearly 20 years, the Surplus Agricultural Products Grant has allowed food banks to obtain donations of surplus or unsellable produce from Texas farmers. In doing so, we help to offset their harvesting, storage and packaging costs while enabling us to provide high-quality, fresh produce to local families.

For every dollar appropriated to the Surplus Agricultural Products Grant, the Tarrant Area Food Bank can provide eight pounds of fresh produce for those most in need. This program has been a huge win for hungry residents in Fort Worth and surrounding cities.

If the proposed cuts are finalized, however, the food bank will not be able to procure nearly 1.5 million pounds of produce from Texas farmers, which translates to 1.25 million nutritious meals. It would also mean lost revenue for Texas agricultural producers — one of the hardest hit sectors of the Texas economy this year.

The cut to the Surplus Agricultural Products Grant would significantly reduce the purchasing power of Texas food banks at a time we need it more than ever.

Because of the economic downturn from the pandemic, many families are seeking support for the first time. Feeding America estimates that there are 575,000 food-insecure people in our service area, up from 455,000 before the virus hit.

We provided a total of 60 million meals across our 13-county service area in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, serving an average of 2.5 million people each month — a 40.5% increase over the previous year.

Tarrant Area Food Bank remains firmly committed to our mission of empowering communities to eliminate hunger by providing food, education and resources through innovation and collaboration. The outpouring of support from communities across our region during the COVID-19 pandemic has been amazing.

We urge the state of Texas to match that support, rise to the challenge and reinstate funding for a critical food assistance program that serves families in need and supports our invaluable agricultural community.

Texans struggling to get back on their feet will continue to rely on Tarrant Area Food Bank and our 350 partner agencies to provide critical nutrition assistance in the months ahead, and we stand ready to help them. We know the state faces significant challenges, and many proposed budget reductions are necessary and warranted.

But now is not the time to cut programs that support families and farmers. We need to band together to protect our community.