Federal Nutrition Policy in New Mexico
October 6, 2026
Article for Farm to Table by Jason Riggs, Director of Advocacy and Public Policy, Roadrunner Food Bank
When the Senate Agriculture Committee met in August 2026, they once again failed to pass a Farm Bill. The Committee met again September 16th and passed the Farm Bill that now moves to a vote on the Senate floor.
Many Americans are not all that familiar with the importance of Farm Bill and how it affects their daily life. This comprehensive omnibus determines a multitude of national agricultural issues such as crop insurance, livestock, forestry, and even farm credit.
It also governs federal nutrition assistance. This is often the sticking point.
In politics, it is easy and tempting to portray agriculture and food assistance as two completely separate and unrelated entities. It makes the Farm Bill discussion simpler. However, from a food security lens, the two aspects of this complex legislation are always intertwined. Various programs under the Farm Bill umbrella have a tremendous impact on both growers and those living with hunger.
One of the programs in the Farm Bill is The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). The program was started in the Reagan era. The USDA purchases 100% American grown food directly from US producers and connects it to low income households facing food insecurity. It has a stabilizing effect on agricultural markets. Roadrunner Food Bank distributes TEFAP food in New Mexico. It is a major part of the food delivered to hundreds of food pantries across New Mexico. Unfortunately, TEFAP foods are down by 25% from last year due to USDA cuts. This has diminished the number of meals that food banks around the country can distribute. An increase in TEFAP budget was offered up as a bipartisan bargaining chip.
Some lawmakers have attempted to use Farm Bill negotiations to resurrect the Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) program. LFPA, created during the pandemic, connected local and regional food from farmers and ranchers to food banks. The USDA abruptly terminated the program in March 2025. In New Mexico, 34% of all NM Grown institutional purchases from small and midsize producers were made via the LFPA in 2024. While the state of New Mexico has funded a smaller version of LFPA, discussions at the Federal level have stalled.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the largest and most effective federal nutrition assistance program and probably has the biggest impact on agriculture. SNAP can provide nine times the number of meals as the entire national food bank network. It is also an economic multiplier. In New Mexico, $1.00 of SNAP can generate $1.82 in economic impact for rural areas.
The USDA Federal Double Up Bucks program allows SNAP participants to purchase twice as much local produce at participating farmers markets. Since Double Up’s inception in 2013, SNAP dollars at farmers markets have risen annually from around $10 million to over $70 million in 2023. Unfortunately, this upward trend may be threatened by recent events.
Historic and unprecedented cuts were made to SNAP under HR1 (the One Big Beautiful Bill Act) in July 2025. Across the country, 4.5 million people have lost or fallen off SNAP. In New Mexico, as of this writing, about 23,798 individuals have lost SNAP. Over 12,000 of them are children.
This has a compounding effect on local and state economies as fewer people use SNAP to purchase food. It also means fewer customers purchasing produce at farmers markets. The SNAP cuts come during a food and fuel affordability crisis. More households will be forced to choose low cost, calorically dense processed food over more expensive, healthful options.
New Mexico, unlike many other state governments, has been bold in fortifying food banks and other programs to counter the federal changes. However, if food banks can be seen as the last line of defense against food insecurity, SNAP is the first. New Mexico’s food bank network has already seen increases in need at pandemic and recession era levels.
In October of 2028, percentages of SNAP program costs will be transferred to states depending on their respective rate of application processing errors. This has the potential to cost New Mexican taxpayers $100-$199 million for a program that has always been a federal responsibility. New Mexico, like many states, may be forced choose between funding programs that help prevent hunger or funding what could be anywhere between 5-15% of SNAP allotments. Already, states are scheduled to assume a 25% increase in SNAP administrative costs.
Farm Bill negotiations are a chance to adjust this devastating course. Even with gracious state support, New Mexico’s food bank network, designed as an emergency response composed of hundreds of faith-based institutions, community centers, and schools, will reach a breaking point.
When lawmakers meet again to discuss the Farm Bill, they will resume a discussion that will impact generations of farmers, ranchers, and our most vulnerable citizens.