Overview

• The Agriculture Department said it is terminating future Household Food Security Reports, calling the survey redundant, politicized and inaccurate, with the 2024 edition due October 22 set as the final release.
• USDA argued the questionnaire is subjective and that the data is rife with inaccuracies, and said it will meet legal obligations using what it describes as more timely and accurate datasets.
• The survey has been conducted annually since the mid‑1990s and is widely used by federal, state and local officials to track food insecurity and evaluate food‑assistance programs.
• Researchers and anti‑hunger groups, including experts at the Urban Institute and advocates such as the Alliance to End Hunger, say canceling the series will hinder measuring hunger and evaluating recent policy changes.
• The decision follows a July law tightening SNAP rules and benefits, with the Congressional Budget Office projecting that millions will lose some or all assistance, a shift critics say will be harder to assess without the survey.