USDA announces its Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement with California

The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service has signed a cooperative agreement with California under the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program, or LFPA.

The program is authorized through the President’s American Rescue Plan, according to a news release, which invested $400 million to make food more affordable for more Americans and help stabilize agricultural supply chains. Through the program, the California Department of Social Services seeks to purchase and distribute locally grown, produced and processed food from underserved producers.

“Providing access to new markets for more producers and helping more Americans experiencing food insecurity is going to take new partnerships, new innovations, and new ways of thinking – and the best solutions can often be local,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in the release. “This program provides tribes, states, and U.S. territories the ability to work in new and creative ways with their local partners, establishing connections between their producers and underserved communities. The food purchases made through LFPA will provide consistent access to locally and regionally sourced food, helping provide economic stability for farmers, producers, and families, and improve health outcomes through nutrition and increased food security.”

The California Department of Social Services will partner with the California Department of Food and Agriculture, California Department of Public Health, California Association of Food Banks and California Food Banks to purchase food from local and underserved farmers throughout the state serving approximately 250,000 families and provide outreach and education to the farms, the release said.

Through the LFPA, 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.

More information about the program is available on AMS’ Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program webpage.