The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service announced the signing of a cooperative agreement with the Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians under the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program.
Through the LFPA Program, the tribe, which faces a major threat in the form of food sovereignty, seeks to purchase and distribute locally grown, produced and processed food from producers in underserved communities, according to a Sept. 6 news release. Throughout the duration of the agreement, the Tuolumne Me-Wuk Food Distribution Program will manage food distribution and assist in reaching food sovereignty.
“USDA is excited to partner with Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians to promote economic opportunities for farmers and producers and to increase access to locally sourced, fresh, healthy and nutritious food in underserved communities,” USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jenny Lester Moffitt said in the release. “The Local Food Purchase Cooperative Agreement Program will improve food and agricultural supply-chain resiliency and increase local food consumption around the country.”
The LFPA Program, authorized by the American Rescue Plan, works to maintain and improve food and agricultural supply chain resiliency, according to the release. Through this program, the USDA will award up to $400 million through non-competitive cooperative agreements with state and tribal governments to support local, regional and underserved producers by purchasing food produced either in-state or within 400 miles of the delivery destination.
"Building partnerships in our rural community has always been important to the Tribe," Tribal Chairwoman Andrea Reich said in the release. "This cooperative agreement with USDA Agricultural and Marketing Service and the Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians will allow the Tribe the opportunity to develop a food distribution program to purchase food from socially disadvantaged farmers and producers under the Build Back Better Initiative and, in turn, create food sovereignty for the Tribe and our membership."
Reich also reported the Tribe will be able to provide food to local families and the surrounding counties of Tuolumne, Amador, Mariposa, Caliveras and Stanislaus, the release reported.
