The U.S. Department of Agriculture is cutting two federal programs that provided about $1 billion in funding to schools and food banks to buy food directly from local farms, ranchers and producers, part of what the agency said was a decision to "return to long-term, fiscally responsible initiatives."
美国农业部正在削减两项联邦计划，这两项计划原本为学校和食品银行提供约10亿美元的资金，用于直接从当地农场、牧场和生产者处购买食品。农业部表示，此举是“回归长期、财政负责举措”的一部分。
The move cancels about $660 million in funding this year for the Local Food for Schools program, which is active in 40 U.S. states, as well as about $420 million for a second program called the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement, which helps food banks and other local groups provide food to their communities.
此举取消了今年“学校本地食品计划”约6.6亿美元的资金，该计划在美国40个州实施， 同时还取消了第二项计划“本地食品采购援助合作协议”约4.2亿美元的资金， 该协议帮助食品银行和其他当地团体为其社区提供食品。
The decision comes as the Trump administration and Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, say they are slashing federal spending to reduce government waste. The USDA programs were funded through the agency's Commodity Credit Corporation, a Depression-era fund created to buy products directly from farmers.
这一决定是在特朗普政府和埃隆·马斯克的政府效率部表示将大幅削减联邦开支以减少政府浪费之际作出的。美国农业部的这些计划是通过其商品信贷公司资助的，该公司是在大萧条时期创建的，旨在直接从农民手中购买产品。
"Unlike the Biden Administration, which funneled billions in Commodity Credit Corporation funds into short-term programs with no plan for longevity, USDA is prioritizing stable, proven solutions that deliver lasting impact," a USDA spokesperson said in an email to CBS MoneyWatch.
“与拜登政府将数十亿美元的商品信贷公司资金投入到没有长期计划的短期计划中不同， 美国农业部正在优先考虑稳定、经证实的解决方案，以实现持久的影响，”美国农业部的一位发言人在给哥伦比亚广播公司财经观察的电子邮件中表示。
In recent days, schools were alerted that they were set to lose $660 million in federal funding for the current year, according to Diane Pratt-Heavner, director of media relations for the School Nutrition Association, which represents thousands of school meal employees. The withdrawal of funding will affect schools across the U.S. at a time when they're already grappling with high food costs, she said.
近日，学校收到通知，它们将在本年度失去6.6亿美元的联邦资金， 代表数千名学校餐饮员工的学校营养协会媒体关系主管戴安·普拉特-希夫纳表示。她补充道，在食品成本已经很高的情况下， 撤资将影响全美的学校。
"It's a pretty big hit"
“这是一次相当大的打击”
One of those school districts said the USDA's decision will wipe out $100,000 in funding that it had planned to spend on local beef and produce for students' school meals.
其中一个学区表示，美国农业部的决定将取消其计划用于学生校餐中当地牛肉和农产品的10万美元资金。
"It's a pretty big hit, and that's mostly fresh fruits and vegetables," said Patti Bilbrey, director of nutrition services at the Scottsdale Unified School District in Arizona. "It wasn't just about keeping food costs low — it meant supporting your community and your local farmers in your state."
“这是一次相当大的打击，其中大部分是新鲜水果和蔬菜，” 斯科茨代尔联合学区（位于亚利桑那州）营养服务主管帕蒂·比尔布雷说道。“这不仅仅是为了保持食品成本低廉，还意味着支持你的社区和你所在州的当地农民。”
While the $100,000 represents about 2% of the school district's roughly $6 million in annual spending on food, Bilbrey noted that it allowed the district to buy food from small farmers and introduce produce like microgreens to their students. She added that the funding loss comes as her district, like many others, are struggling to keep school meals affordable amid rising food and labor costs.
虽然这10万美元约占该学区约600万美元年度食品支出的2%， 但比尔布雷指出，这允许该学区从小型农民那里购买食品，并向学生们介绍像豆芽这样的农产品。她补充说，她的学区和其他许多学区一样， 在资金流失、食品和劳动力成本不断上涨的情况下，他们正在努力让学校膳食负担得起。
The Local Food for Schools program "was a godsend to us," Bilbrey said. "It keeps our meal costs down, and we're helping our community, which improves the perception of school meals."
“学校本地食品计划”对我们来说是“天赐之物”，比尔布雷说。“它降低了我们的餐食成本，而我们也在帮助我们的社区，这改善了人们对学校餐食的看法。”
素材来源：iYuba
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