advocacy, federal policy, on the menu, state policy
2025 Advocacy Year In Review
By Rachel Lord, Advocacy and Policy Director, AFPC
By just about any measure, 2025 was a wild year. Far more happened than we can capture in a single recap, but several themes cut across the months: rising hunger, with steady increases in food bank and pantry use across Alaska; deeper collaboration between food access and agriculture partners at the state and national levels; and ongoing challenges driven by limited state capacity, fiscal constraints, and a rapidly shifting federal landscape.
Here at AFPC, we’re reflecting on a year that stretched us in countless ways. We’re deeply grateful for our partners across Alaska and beyond. Thank you for your collaboration, commitment, and leadership.
January-March: A new legislature and early signals of change
The 34th Legislature convened for the first year of its two-year session, with bills ranging from school nutrition to fish farming, and an Executive Order from the Governor proposing a Department of Agriculture. That drama continues into 2026, and we laid out some background on the difference between Divisions and Departments in our first advocacy blog post of 2025! On The Menu, our weekly legislative recap of all things food at the Alaska Legislature, began for its second year.
In February, we headed to Juneau with partners across Alaska for the annual Food Security Week Fly-in, to educate and advocate on food systems policy.
AFPC joined the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition in March, as the first ever member organization from Alaska! We also took a deep dive into Local Food Purchasing Agreements in Alaska, as the federal administration announced plans to terminate the program.
April-June: Federal budget fights heat up, and state legislature wraps up
In May, we attended the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC)’s National Anti-Hunger Policy Conference, connecting with Alaska partners and national advocates as congressional budget negotiations intensified. It became increasingly clear that SNAP was a target for historic cuts, and we published blogs and comments outlining the likely impacts on Alaska’s families and rural economy. Don’t balance the budget on Alaska’s hungry families & our rural economy
By June, Congress was advancing the 900+ page “One Big Beautiful Bill” (H.R. 1). After several iterations, it passed with minimal benefit for Alaska’s farmers and deep cuts and added complexity for SNAP, along with major new implementation burdens for states. We focused much of the month on analyzing and responding to these proposals. Alaska hunger trends and federal budget decisions
On the state side, the Department of Agriculture conversation continued in Juneau, and AFPC put out another blog post on the issue. The legislature adjourned in late-May, pausing all unfinished bills until the second year of session begins in January 2026. We published an update on the food related bills we’re tracking. With HB 12 and growing interest statewide, we continued expanding our work around school nutrition. A few new bills were introduced just as the session ended that we will pick up covering (SB 186 – prohibiting soft drink purchases under SNAP, and SB 187 – prohibiting food dyes in school meals), and more bills will be introduced in the new session. Sign up for On the Menu updates here!
July-September: SNAP Cuts, USDA Changes, Growing Uncertainty
In July, the One Big Beautiful Bill was signed into law, marking a historic cut to SNAP and a significant cost shift to states. The law includes expanded work requirements, changes to eligibility and deductions, increased state financial responsibility, and staggered implementation timelines that place heavy demands on state agencies.
Also in July, the USDA also terminated the Regional Food Business Centers across the country, including in Alaska where AFPC was the lead organization. This decision pulled $6 million from Alaska’s food and farm businesses.
Throughout the summer, uncertainty deepened. USDA released a reorganization plan with limited opportunity for public input; after pushback, the comment period was extended, but the outcome remains unclear heading into 2026. USDA also announced plans to end the National Household Food Security Survey, the backbone of national hunger data for decades, while the long-delayed 2024 report remained unreleased as of mid-December.
Back in Alaska, the Governor issued Administrative Order 360 in August, launching a broad review aimed at reducing state regulations. Many questions remain about its scope and impacts; find out more information about regulations versus statutes here. That same month, the Legislature convened a 30-day special session focused on education funding and the proposed Department of Agriculture. Lawmakers declined to reconsider the Department, setting up continued legal and budget battles that will carry into next year. The drama continues!
October-December: Crisis response and a chaotic finish
The final quarter of 2025 brought overlapping crises. Thousands of Alaskans were displaced in the Y-K Delta after Typhoon Halong, prompting a state disaster declaration and widespread community response. In December, USDA approved a SNAP hot foods waiver, allowing participants to purchase prepared foods through January 19, 2026.
Our federal government shut down on October 1 after Congress failed to pass appropriations. During the 43-day shutdown, SNAP funding lapsed for the first time in history. USDA issued shifting guidance to states—initially directing partial benefit issuance—while legal challenges and conflicting messages created widespread confusion. Alaska issued a 30-day disaster declaration to try to fill gaps, though later reporting indicated emergency funds were not ultimately used.
The shutdown ended on November 12 with a continuing resolution funding SNAP and several agriculture programs through September 30, 2026. Other federal funding will expire again on January 30, 2026 if Congress does not act.
Amid all of this, USDA issued guidance accelerating SNAP work requirement changes, adding to administrative strain for the Alaska Division of Public Assistance, which continues to face backlogs worsened by the shutdown.
The year closed with the Governor’s budget proposal released on December 12. We’ll be publishing a food systems–focused budget analysis in the coming weeks. The Legislature reconvenes January 20, with a session preview coming mid-January.
Till then, it’s time for a short break. We hope you’re able to rest, connect with friends and family, enjoy comforting foods, and get outside. We’ll see you in 2026, ready for whatever the next chapter brings!
