Support is building for the Fresh Produce Procurement Reform Act, according to the International Fresh Produce Association.
IFPA applauded several lawmakers for the introduction of the bill, which the association said in a news release will give USDA tools to diversify the produce supply chain that provides fresh fruits and vegetables to food banks and other nonprofits that serve the nutrition insecure.
The bill is one of 15 bills that have been introduced in Congress related to the 2018 farm bill reauthorization that has the support of the International Fresh Produce Association and the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance, according to the release.
“The demand for fresh fruits and vegetables at food banks and those serving the nutrition insecure remains high but the existing model limits both the suppliers and varieties offered to consumers,” Mollie Van Lieu, IFPA vice president of nutrition and health, said in the release. “IFPA thanks Reps. Valadao and DeLauro and Senator Sherrod Brown for their support of this bill which will unlock our diverse and local supply chains to distribute more U.S grown fresh produce to those who need it most.”
On average, USDA directly purchases more than $2 billion annually of domestic commodities for redistribution to feeding sites across the U.S. Currently only five bulk fresh produce commodities are available within the Emergency Food Assistance Program resulting in just under $6.5 million in purchases, according to the release. The legislation will expand USDA’s ability to tap into the established diverse, local and regional supply chains by considering a value-based bid process instead of the current “lowest-cost bid” that eliminates many growers and distributors from participating.
A value-based buying approach in awarding contracts extends opportunity to more growers and distributors of all sizes, the release said. Additionally, this makes available a wider variety of high-quality produce, providing more options reflective of the preferences of the populations served at the feeding sites, according to the release.
IFPA recently welcomed hundreds of members to Washington D.C., in September for the Washington Conference. During this time, members marched on Capitol Hill to advocate for several industry priorities including labor, food safety, nutrition and more. The Fresh Produce Procurement Reform Act was one example of legislation IFPA has been advocating for this year, the release said.
The IFPA website has a more detailed view of the industry advocacy priorities for 2023.
