The Food Security Supplement to the United States Census Current Population Survey, or Household Food Security Survey Module, is one of the most valuable federal datasets for understanding food insecurity and evaluating nutrition policy in the US. Despite its value, the US Department of Agriculture announced in September 2025 the termination of this survey, resulting in widespread concern from hunger researchers and advocates. Consistent, high-quality data is essential to track trends in food insecurity, evaluate the impact of federal nutrition programs—like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, National School Lunch Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program, and Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children—and inform evidence-based policy decisions. Nutrition Policy Institute researchers commented on the critical importance of USDA data collection in response to the USDA’s recent request for information on opportunities, challenges, and emerging areas in statistical data, analysis, and research. Under USDA, the Economic Research Service, National Agricultural Statistics Service, and Office of the Chief Economist produce statistical and research products. NPI’s comment highlights the importance of food security data in NPI’s research, as well as the importance of other USDA data products to support our mission to translate policy-relevant nutrition research to support healthier children, families and communities. You can read the full comment on the Regulations.gov website.
