Academy Statement on Discontinuation of Annual Hunger Survey

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics was disappointed to learn about the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) plans to discontinue its annual hunger survey as of October 2025. This decision raises significant questions about the commitment of the administration and Congress to transparency, especially given the projected harmful effects on nutrition security programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and nutrition research included in the budget reconciliation bill that Congress recently passed.

The Academy strongly encourages the USDA to revisit this decision. With its unwavering commitment to research, science and evidence, the Academy is concurrently working with its partners in the nutrition and food security space to determine how best to fill this critical knowledge gap.

The Academy believes that nutrition provides a path to better health and that starts with access. Transparency about the state of hunger in the United States is critically important to ensure that we are taking proven and effective action to provide the most vulnerable with access to the nutritious food they need to thrive. Anything less should be unacceptable.