Public Affairs
WASHINGTON, Nov. 17, 2022 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) today announced it has signed a cooperative agreement with Indiana under the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA). Through LFPA, the Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) seeks to purchase and distribute locally grown, produced, and processed food from underserved producers.
“USDA is excited to partner with Indiana to promote economic opportunities for farmers and producers and to increase access to locally sourced, fresh, healthy, and nutritious food in underserved communities,” said USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jenny Lester Moffitt. “The Local Food Purchase Cooperative Agreement Program will improve food and agricultural supply-chain resiliency and increase local food consumption around the country.”
With the LFPA funds, IDOH will collaborate with the Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) and other programs to purchase food from underserved producers and farmers and distribute the food to identified underserved communities.
“Many Hoosiers are facing food insecurity or lack access to healthy foods,” said State Health Commissioner Kris Box. “This cooperative agreement represents an opportunity for our state to meaningfully invest in our food system. By purchasing food from socially disadvantaged local producers for distribution in our most vulnerable communities, this project benefits both the farmers and the families who receive these foods.”
USDA’s Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program provides up to $900 million through non-competitive cooperative agreements to enable state, territory, and tribal governments to support local, regional and underserved producers, and maintain or improve food and agricultural supply chain resiliency through the purchase of food produced within the state or within 400 miles of delivery destination. Funding for the program comes from the American Rescue Plan and the Commodity Credit Corporation.
AMS looks forward to continuing to sign agreements under this innovative program that allows state and tribal governments to procure and distribute local and regional foods and beverages that are healthy, nutritious, and unique to their geographic area.
More information about the program is available on AMS’s Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program webpage.
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