The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) today announced it has signed a cooperative agreement with Kentucky under the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA). Through LFPA, the Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA) seeks to purchase and distribute locally grown, produced, and processed food from underserved producers.
“USDA is excited to partner with Kentucky 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.”
The Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA) will use the funds from the LFPA program to purchase foods from underserved local producers from across the Commonwealth and distribute them to underserved populations using a network of existing partnerships along with newer concepts.
“Kentucky’s rich agricultural land doesn’t shield its residents from food insecurities. With one in seven Kentuckians, including one in six children, facing food struggles, we are extremely excited for the opportunities this grant presents,” said Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles. “We will be able to provide quality food to those who need it most. Our KDA Food Distribution team will work hard to get the most out of this USDA grant resulting in the biggest impact for our state.”
The LFPA program is authorized by the American Rescue Plan to maintain and improve food and agricultural supply chain resiliency. Through this program, USDA will award up to $400 million through non-competitive cooperative agreements with state and tribal governments to support local, regional, and underserved producers through the purchase of food produced within the state or within 400 miles of delivery destination.
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.
Source : usda.gov