USDA’s Announcement of Local Food Purchases to Support Communities Facing Hunger
Feeding America welcomes the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s announcement of its intent to purchase $230 million in nutritious food—including fresh seafood, fruits, vegetables, and beans—for distribution through programs like The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). This food is urgently needed and will help get more meals onto the shelves of food banks and pantries across the country—supporting both the people who grow our food and the people working hard to build a better future for themselves and their families.
We’re especially grateful to the U.S. farmers, growers and producers whose work makes this possible—and to USDA for its ongoing partnership. This investment ensures that food grown by farmers in America stays in our communities. We stand ready, through the Feeding America network of more than 200 food banks and 60,000 faith-based and community organizations, to help ensure this food reaches the people who need it most.
Tens of millions of people in the United States continue to face challenges accessing the food and resources they need to thrive. Meeting this challenge requires all of us—government, agriculture, nonprofits, and local communities—working together. This investment is one example of how that collective action can help ensure everyone has access to the food they need to thrive.
Feeding America is committed to an America where no one is hungry. We support tens of millions of people who experience food insecurity to get the food and resources they say they need to thrive as part of a nationwide network of food banks, statewide food bank associations, food pantries and meal programs. We also invest in innovative solutions to increase equitable access to nutritious food, advocate for legislation that improves food security and work to address factors that impact food security, such as health, cost of living and employment. We partner with people experiencing food insecurity, policymakers, organizations, and supporters, united with them in a movement to end hunger. Visit FeedingAmerica.org to learn more.