USDA · NUTRITION · TEFAP · CATALOG
Emergency Food Assistance Program
TEFAP - a USDA nutrition farm program administered by the Farm Service Agency. How it works, who it serves, and where the federal dollars go.
What the TEFAP Program Data Shows
The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) is a nutrition program (stamp NUTRITION · CATALOG) administered by the USDA Farm Service Agency. Distributes USDA commodity foods to food banks. Figures on this page draw from the USDA Economic Research Service Farm Income and Wealth Statistics series and FSA program definitions, not academic estimates.
TEFAP sits in the NUTRITION catalog lane. Sibling titles in this lane (SFC, SNAP-ED) share FSA administration but not a single shared state Top-10 board. Farm Bill negotiations repeatedly revolve around whether a nutrition-heavy program continues at current levels, tightens eligibility, or shifts funding into other Titles.
Reading TEFAP in isolation misses the stack. Pair this page with the category peer drills below and each state's full ERS portfolio (commodity, conservation, insurance, disaster) before judging program effectiveness or equity.
About This Program
Distributes USDA commodity foods to food banks.
NUTRITION lane, no single ERS payment column
TEFAP is catalogued under NUTRITION, but ERS state tables do not publish a dedicated column for this title. Use the category peer drills below instead of a recycled national Top-10.
Source: USDA Farm Service Agency, Farm Income and Wealth Statistics (1995-2024)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP)?
The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) is a USDA nutrition program (stamp NUTRITION · CATALOG). Distributes USDA commodity foods to food banks.
Who administers the TEFAP program?
The Emergency Food Assistance Program is administered by the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA). Farmers and ranchers apply through their local FSA county office. Eligibility and payment calculations vary by program rules set in the Farm Bill.
How does the TEFAP differ from other USDA programs?
The TEFAP falls under the nutrition category of USDA programs. It sits in the nutrition lane of the Farm Bill stack rather than the commodity, conservation, or disaster payment columns.
Which programs sit with TEFAP in the nutrition lane?
TEFAP peers in the NUTRITION lane include Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFC), SNAP Education (SNAP-ED).
Program Details
Browse
Read with TEFAP
Same-lane FSA peers and the leading ERS state pole for Emergency Food Assistance Program (NUTRITION · CATALOG), replacing the old fixed Guides / Explore more chrome.
NUTRITION CATALOG
Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program · SFC
SFC shares the NUTRITION stack with TEFAP (CATALOG vs CATALOG) - compare FSA rules and state poles side by side.
SNAP Education · SNAP-ED
SNAP-ED shares the NUTRITION stack with TEFAP (CATALOG vs CATALOG) - compare FSA rules and state poles side by side.
Texas · top payment pole
Texas leads the total USDA payment ranking shown on this TEFAP page.
Full FSA program catalog
TEFAP stamps NUTRITION · CATALOG inside the Farm Bill program roster.
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the USDA Farm Service Agency. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Every figure on PlainFarmData is rendered from USDA ERS Farm Income and Wealth Statistics (state and national payments) or the USDA NASS Census of Agriculture (county farm structure), depending on the page, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on USDA Farm Service Agency source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.