Wisconsin food banks say loss of USDA report leaves data gap as need rises

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - Food insecurity is climbing across the United States, but the federal government says it will no longer release its annual hunger survey.

This move has food banks and pantries in Wisconsin concerned about how they will measure and respond to demand.

For more than two decades, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Household Food Security Report tracked hunger nationwide, providing policymakers and nonprofits with a key data source. The USDA announced it would discontinue the report, citing budgetary and methodological concerns.

Ryan Holley, grants manager at The River Food Pantry in Madison, said federal data helps strengthen applications for funding and gives pantries a broader picture of who is experiencing food insecurity.

“We have a less clear picture of what’s