Washington: The United States is witnessing unprecedented levels of food waste during President Donald Trump’s second term, even as hunger surges nationwide. A combination of immigration raids, tariff decisions, and sweeping cuts to domestic and international food assistance has left farmers without labour, warehouses filled with spoiling produce, and millions of Americans struggling to find enough to eat. This does not include the government’s direct destruction of edible food.
Official estimates indicate that more than 47 million Americans lack sufficient food, despite federal and state authorities spending hundreds of billions of dollars annually on support programmes. At the same time, as much as 40 per cent of all food produced in the country rots before consumption—equivalent to around 120 billion meals each year, more than double what would be required to feed every hungry American three times a day for a full year.
This colossal waste carries immense economic and environmental costs, squandering water and agricultural resources while producing over 4 million metric tons of methane annually as it decays. According to experts who study food waste, the situation has worsened significantly since Trump returned to office in January 2025. Despite the administration’s claims of boosting efficiency, several federal policies have instead deepened the crisis.
Aggressive immigration actions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Border Patrol and other agencies have disrupted essential labour in agriculture and food production. Raids at farms, meat-processing plants and distribution centres have resulted in thousands of arrests, widespread fear, and at times fatal consequences. In some regions, reports suggest up to 70 per cent of workers stopped reporting to work by mid-2025, leaving crops unharvested and food abandoned in fields. The US Department of Labour warned in October 2025 that the raids were driving workers into hiding, leaving significant produce unpicked and risking “supply shock-induced food shortages.”
Cuts to foreign aid have also contributed to waste. After the administration nearly shut down the US Agency for International Development early in 2025, around 500 tons of ready-to-eat, high-energy biscuits—valued at US$800,000 and intended for people displaced by crises—expired in a Dubai warehouse. Disposal reportedly cost an additional $125,000, and a further 70,000 tons of USAID food aid may have been destroyed.
Trade policies added to the strain. Tariffs imposed in early 2025 severed long-standing soybean trade with China for months, leaving farmers with no storage for growing stockpiles. Although an agreement reached in October 2025 may revive some sales, activity is expected to resume slowly and at lower prices as China turns to Brazil and Argentina for supplies. While soybeans primarily feed livestock, experts warn that spoiled stock and lost planting opportunities represent a broader pattern of waste.
Other policy decisions have further intensified the problem. Mass dismissals of food safety personnel have increased risks of foodborne outbreaks and agricultural diseases, leading in one instance to the destruction of nearly 35,000 turkeys infected with bird flu in Utah. The administration also cancelled a widely used programme enabling schools and food banks to buy produce from local farmers—after crops had already been planted—forcing growers to seek new buyers or face losing their harvests.
Funding cuts to the Federal Emergency Management Agency weakened disaster recovery efforts for food producers, restaurants and households, including support for restoring refrigeration systems crucial to preventing spoilage. The autumn 2025 government shutdown pushed the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program into limbo for weeks, undermining access to food for vulnerable communities. Some retailers offered discounts to support SNAP recipients and maintain the flow of goods before they spoiled, but the Department of Agriculture blocked the move, insisting that recipients pay standard prices.
Food waste in the US predates the current administration, but recent policies have sharply worsened the situation at a time of escalating need. As Americans mark Thanksgiving, experts urge reflection on the growing mountains of wasted food—and the broader systemic failures they represent.
With PTI inputs