Louisiana is celebrated worldwide for its warm hospitality and one-of-a-kind cuisine. Yet behind our city’s legendary reputation lies a grim reality: high numbers of people experience severe hunger, in every community in our state. The federal government has long described this as “food insecurity.” And now, a newly enacted federal law makes this chronic problem an urgent crisis.
Fact 1:
More than 888,000 people in Louisiana struggle with hunger
888,130 people in Louisiana struggle with hunger at times during the year – over 19% – according to a recently released report, “Hunger in America,” by Feeding America. To put those numbers in perspective, that is more people than the combined populations of New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Shreveport, and Lafayette.
Fact 2:
1 in 5 Louisiana children lives in a food-insecure household
About 1 in 5 kids in Louisiana lives in a food-insecure household. That’s an estimated 248,630 Louisiana children struggling with hunger. An additional 579,060 adults struggle with hunger as well.
Fact 3:
79,000+ Louisiana kids have lost SNAP benefits over the past year
Since enactment of H.R. 1 (“One Big Beautiful Bill Act”) in July 2025, more than 79,000 Louisiana children have lost Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, according to a May 2026 report by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Louisiana posted a 22% decline in child participation, the second largest percent decline among the states that report child data.
Fact 4:
More than 90,000 adults also dropped from SNAP
Likewise, more than 90,000 Louisiana adults also lost SNAP benefits as a result of the Big Beautiful Bill. Many of the adults are seniors or disabled people: 80% of Louisiana SNAP households include either children, elderly people or adults with disabilities.
Fact 5:
Second Harvest Food Bank lost $9.4 million in federal funding
Second Harvest Food Bank of South Louisiana distributes 19,000 boxes of food each month to seniors on fixed incomes. Each box has about 34 pounds of food. Second Harvest lost around $9.4 million in federal funding due to cutbacks and is getting about 7 million pounds less food from the federal government despite food insecurity which affects 1 in 6 people in South Louisiana.
Fact 6: The ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ slashed $186 billion in food assistance. That’s 186 with eleven zeroes.
Over the next 10 years, the Big Beautiful Bill will cut $186 billion in SNAP benefits, according to the Harvard Kennedy School. That is 186 and eleven zeroes. Supporters like U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) argue that “Through the One Big Beautiful Bill, Republicans eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse in a bloated, inefficient program — so that the Americans who actually need it — receive it.” Critics, including Bread for the World, a Christian anti-hunger organization, respond that “these cuts will increase hunger among children, families, and rural communities, creating unsustainable pressure on household and state budgets.”
Fact 7: As the feds shift costs to states, Louisiana must soon spend $42.3 million to administer its food stamp program
Beginning in a few months, on October 1, as a result of the Big Beautiful Bill, Louisiana will have to spend $42.3 million to support the hundreds of thousands of people who receive SNAP program assistance according to Invest in Louisiana.
Fact 8: Federal programs provide 10x more aid than private charities
Churches, charities, food banks, and nonprofit organizations can’t solve hunger alone. Federal nutrition programs provide 10 times as much food assistance as private churches and charities combined, according to the Christian anti-hunger advocacy organization, Bread for the World.
Fact 9: State lawmakers allocated $4.6 million to local farmers
One encouraging development is that, despite tens of millions in cuts by the federal government for food programs, the Louisiana legislature appropriated $4.6 million to Feeding Louisiana to purchase Louisiana-grown produce and protein from Louisiana farmers, ranchers, and food producers in June 2026 to support food banks.
Fact 10: Louisiana cuisine feeds the world; we must ensure no neighbor goes hungry
If you want to help our hungry neighbors in Louisiana, here are 4 suggestions. Volunteer at your local food bank. Donate food or financial support to Second Harvest of Louisiana or other local charitable groups. Advocate for more generous policies through Feeding Louisiana or Bread for the World. Contact your elected officials, especially Louisiana federal officials, to urge them to support effective anti-hunger policies.
A new poll by Invest in Louisiana shows that 74% of voters support the SNAP program and 68% support increased funding for food assistance. Louisiana is known around the world for its cuisine and hospitality. We should also be known for ensuring that every neighbor has enough to eat.
For more information, look at Bread for the World, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Feeding Louisiana, Invest in Louisiana, and Second Harvest.
Bill Quigley is an emeritus professor of law and a Louis J. Twomey, S.J. Scholar in Residence at the Jesuit Social Research Institute (JSRI) of Loyola University New Orleans. quigley@loyno.edu
