WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a $1.13 billion investment to support local and regional food systems, building upon the Department’s previous investments in the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement (LFPA) and Local Food for Schools (LFS) programs.

“These programs expand on the prior achievements of USDA’s LFPA and LFS programs and carry them into 2025, assuring local farmers, families, and communities that they will continue to get the help they need,” said USDA Under Secretary Jenny Lester Moffitt. “The programs reaffirm our commitment to bolstering local economies, ensuring food security, and fostering resilient agricultural communities nationwide.”

This round of funding, announced on October 1, will allow states, territories, and federally recognized Tribes to purchase wholesome, locally produced foods for distribution within their communities to emergency food providers, schools, and child care centers. Producers wishing to receive information about becoming a vendor for LFPA or for LFS should contact their respective state, territory, or Tribal purchasing authorities.

USDA will allocate up to $471.5 million for states and territories to purchase local, unprocessed, or minimally processed domestic foods for use by schools participating in the National School Lunch and/or School Breakfast Programs, and up to $188.6 million for use in child care facilities participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program. Additionally, USDA will allocate up to $471.5 million for states, territories, and Tribal governments to use in local feeding programs, including food banks, schools and other organizations that reach underserved communities. Of that, $100 million will go to Tribal governments, a press release noted.

“USDA believes that a healthier future for our country starts with our children,” said Cindy Long, USDA’s Deputy Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services. “We are excited to build on these successful collaborations that connect schools and emergency food organizations with nutritious food from local farmers and producers by expanding the model to child care facilities for the first time. Families can feel good knowing their kids are eating food that was grown right in their own community.”

Conceived in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the LFPA, LFPA Plus, and LFS programs have invested over $1 billion into local food purchases to date. Through the LFPA programs, USDA has provided $900 million in funding to 50 states, the District of Columbia, four territories, and 84 Tribal governments, sourcing foods from over 8,000 local producers, with more than 5,000 identified as underserved.

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