Funviralpark The USDA will also increase the total funding available to tribes, giving current collaborators more time to enact programs and non-participants more time to apply.
Washington, November 22, 2022 – The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announced today that it has entered into a cooperation agreement with the Eastern Division of the Chickahominy Indian Tribes under the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative (LFPA) program.
The LFPA works with states, tribes, empowering territories. In September, Secretary Vilsak announced that the USDA would provide approximately $500 million in additional funding for the program.
Today USDA also announces a series of new flexibility to support states, tribes and territories. States, territories and tribes not currently participating in the program may apply, and current recipients may extend the program for an additional year. Additionally, in response to the needs and opinions of the Tribes, USDA will use a national funding allocation of $100 million to better support Tribal applicants and better consider the needs of Indian Countries as a whole. increase. 25 tribes participated in the first funding round. With this new opportunity, AMS will seek additional suggestions from other tribes. State and territory agencies will continue to receive funding consistent with the original LFPA allocation.
Today, Under Secretary Moffitt and the Director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Tribal Relations Office Heather Dawn Thompson announced funding for the first tribes in the mid-Atlantic region during a visit to the Chickahomini Indian Tribes Eastern District in Providence Forge, Virginia. To support food sovereignty efforts by entering into cooperative agreements with the USDA to purchase and distribute locally grown, produced and processed food from producers in underserved tribes. Receive over $446,000. LFPA funds allow tribes to purchase local meat and produce from local farms to improve local farming communities and raise awareness about the benefits of buying locally.
“Producers and community leaders are enthusiastic about the novel and unique approach that the Local Food Purchasing Assistance Program offers to meet their local nutritional needs, supporting local and regional producers and ensuring that they are well served. It provides nutritional assistance programs such as food banks, schools and organizations that reach out to unserved tribes, said Jenny Lester Moffitt, USDA Undersecretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs. “By continuing this program, we will advance food sovereignty and empower food and agriculture by empowering states, tribal governments and territories to source and distribute nutritious foods that meet the needs of their populations. We can improve the resilience of our supply chains and increase access to local food.”
“The USDA is excited to partner with the Chickahominy Indian Tribal Eastern District to advance economic opportunities for farmers and producers. It’s an exciting new tool for the tribal nations that are looking for it,” said Director Thompson.
“We are thrilled to have access to the resources made available through the LFPA and are grateful for the opportunity presented to us by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. and agriculture, as well as supporting the families and others of our tribes by complementing our food programs,” said Gerald ‘Jerry’ Stewart, Chief of the Chickahominy Indian Tribes Eastern Branch. Cooperation agreements allow us to build relationships with local farmers while contributing to food security for families, especially with rising costs due to the pandemic and inflation. We will support pandemic recovery efforts by preserving and promoting the overall health and well-being of individuals and families by easing some of the costs we face.”
USDA’s Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program provides up to about $900 million through noncompetitive cooperative agreements to help state, territory, and tribal governments improve local, regional, and underserved tribal production. to help maintain or improve the resilience of food and agriculture supply chains. Through the purchase of food produced in the state or within 400 miles of delivery. Funding for this program comes from the American Rescue Plan and Commodity Credit Corporation.
Since April 2022, AMS has established over 70 cooperation agreements between states, tribal governments and territories. This gave the organization the flexibility to design food purchasing programs and establish partnerships with farmers and ranchers that best fit local needs and are environmentally and climate responsive. Consider seasonal harvests and meet the needs of the population within the service area.
AMS will continue to work with state, territory, and tribal governments through these innovative agreements to source and distribute healthy, nutritious, geographic area-specific local and regional food and beverages. We look forward to partnering with you.
Information about this program is available on the AMS Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program web page and at [email protected]. Additional funding details will be published soon. Through its Indigenous Peoples Food Sovereignty Initiative, USDA is taking other steps to support tribal food sovereignty interests.
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