() Under direction from the Trump administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has terminated its decades-old annual food security survey, even as hunger rates continue to rise.

In a statement Saturday, the USDA called the Household Food Security Report “redundant, costly, politicized, and said such studies “do nothing more than fear monger.”

The survey, launched under the Clinton administration nearly 30 years ago, has long served as the nation’s benchmark for tracking hunger.

Advocacy groups say they rely on the data to guide funding and program decisions. But USDA officials argue the report shows little progress despite significant spending increases.

“Trends in the prevalence of food insecurity have remained virtually unchanged, regardless of an over 87% increase in SNAP spending between 2019 – 2023,” the USDA said, adding it plans to use “more timely and accurate data” from other federal sources instead.

The most recent survey, conducted in 2023, found that about 13.5% of U.S. households experienced food insecurity at some point that year, up from 11% in 2021.

Officials say those numbers illustrate why a new approach is needed. Food banks and nonprofits, however, warn that ending the survey could leave them without critical analytics.

“That data really helps us measure impact,” said Claire Tiffin, director of community engagement at Arkansas Foodbank. “It also shows us early warning signs that a community is struggling with hunger.”