Trump’s megabill slashes food aid while boosting subsidies for industrial farms
On Friday, President Trump signed the bill into law. It gives billions in subsidies to large commodity farms while cutting food assistance for low-income families and weakening climate-focused farm programs.
Ayurella Horn-Muller reports for Grist.
In short:
- The legislation expands subsidies for large-scale corn, cotton, and soybean growers by $50 billion and removes climate spending rules attached to funds from the Inflation Reduction Act.
- Cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program could strip food aid from over 22 million households and impose new work rules on parents, veterans, and older adults.
- The legislation also boosts funding for immigration enforcement by $100 billion, threatening the labor force that powers U.S. agriculture.
Key quote:
"To me, it’s sending the message that there’s only one way to support farmers, and it’s through increased commodity subsidies for a select few farmers."
— Mike Lavender, policy director at the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
Why this matters:
By prioritizing subsidies for large industrial farms and diverting funds away from local food systems, rural development, and climate resilience, the new legislation may deepen economic divides, increase ag pollution, and hinder access to healthy food. Cutting SNAP benefits — the country's frontline defense against hunger — while penalizing immigrants, who make up a significant portion of the agricultural workforce, risks worsening both food insecurity and labor shortages. These changes could ripple through the food supply chain, raising prices and making nutritious food even more inaccessible. The environmental trade-offs are stark, too, as land is pulled toward biofuel production at the expense of sustainable farming and climate goals.
Learn more: How agribusiness lobbying boosts corporate control over food and climate policy
