Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced its plan to leverage $1.7 billion to purchase locally, regionally, and domestically produced foods for emergency food assistance. This funding will be primarily allocated to food banks, schools, childcare facilities, and other institutions to purchase meat, produce, and dairy products from local and regional farmers.
In response, Farm Action issued the following statement, which can be attributed to Sarah Carden, Farm Action’s Research and Policy Development Director:
“Our government is the largest food purchaser; typically, its dollars go toward the largest food and agriculture corporations. For years, Farm Action has called on USDA to buy from local and regional producers to bolster rural economies, create market opportunities for small and midsize farms, and allow local producers to feed their communities. This commitment builds on programs with a proven track record of success in allowing farmers access to their local and regional markets while providing nutritious, reliable, and locally-produced food to community members. This funding anchors small and midsize farmers, who otherwise struggle to survive in our corporate controlled food system.”
This announcement comes after USDA updated its purchasing requirements for domestic meat products in November 2023. The department clarified that meat products purchased by USDA for food procurement purposes “must be from animals born, raised, and slaughtered in the U.S.” In 2022, USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service spent $800 million on meat products.
For more information on Farm Action’s work to advocate for local and regional purchasing, see Buying from Big Ag: How Government Food Procurement Reinforces Monopoly Power (and What We Can Do About It!).
Media Contact: Emma Nicolas, enicolas@farmaction.us, 202-450-0094
