Sacramento, California – California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Saturday issued an urgent appeal to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, demanding the reversal of a sudden decision to cancel a Biden-era food program that has served as a critical lifeline for millions of struggling families and hundreds of small farmers since 2021.
Calling the move “irrational and malicious,” Newsom warned that the abrupt withdrawal of funds would devastate both local agriculture and the state’s food-insecure residents. “This slashing of funds will not only hurt our farmers, but also the families who need food banks,” he said in a statement.
The California Department of Social Services joined the outcry, denouncing the USDA’s decision as “unlawful” in an appeal letter that urges the agency to reinstate the program. Launched in 2022 to decentralize and diversify food supply chains in the wake of the pandemic, the program provided states and tribal governments with grants to source food from local and socially disadvantaged farmers…