Food banks warn state CalFood funding will fall 90% without budget action; fruit-and-vegetable EBT pilot burned funds quickly

Summary

California food banks told the Assembly Budget Subcommittee that the CalFood one‑time funding boost that supported purchases of California‑grown food will revert to an $8 million baseline on July 1, 2025, which food banks say would force reduced distributions, staff cuts and site closures. The hearing also covered the CalFresh fruit‑and‑vegetable

California’s network of food banks and state officials told the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Human Services that a sharp reduction in state CalFood funding would force food banks to cut distribution amounts, reduce paid staff and close distribution sites.

At the same hearing, CDSS and food-bank representatives described the CalFresh fruit-and-vegetable Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) pilot as popular and fast‑spending: the incentive account that gave up to $60 per calendar month to participating CalFresh households burned through available funds very quickly and was paused in January 2025 after a heavy rate of take‑up.

Why it matters: CalFood and the EBT incentive pilot are designed to increase healthy food access and to keep state food-purchasing dollars circulating in California’s agricultural economy. Food banks described continued high demand for emergency food and said an abrupt funding cliff would weaken the emergency food system…

Food banks warn state CalFood funding will fall 90% without budget action; fruit-and-vegetable EBT pilot burned funds quickly

Summary

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