The USDA abruptly decided to terminate an annual survey that policymakers and organizations use to help Americans struggling with food insecurity.

The health and human services secretary wants to limit access to items he has called “poison.” But this mission is more complex than it seems, with serious consequences for low-income citizens.

The president’s policies regarding trade and immigration, as well as bone-deep cuts to government spending, have brought chaos to the nation’s agriculture industry.

The government may be able to provide a quick fix to the deepening emergency. Solving the problem’s root cause will be substantially more difficult.