The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service has announced a Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative (LFPA) agreement with the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), a USDA press release said this week.

“USDA is excited to partner with Northern Mariana Islands to promote economic opportunities for farmers and producers and to increase access to locally sourced, fresh, healthy, and nutritious food in underserved communities," Jenny Moffitt, USDA under secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, said in the release.

The agreement is under the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program, the release said. Through the program, the Northern Mariana Islands will buy and distribute locally grown, produced and processed food from producers who are underserved.

“The Local Food Purchase Cooperative Agreement Program will improve food and agricultural supply-chain resiliency and increase local food consumption around the country,” Moffitt said.

Ralph Deleon Guerrero Torres, governor of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, also commented on the importance of the collaboration.

"The Feeding Marianas Food Purchase Program will maintain and improve local food and agricultural supply chain resiliency through the procurement of domestically-sourced foods from local and underserved farmers, ranchers, and all other producers," he said in the release. "Mass distribution of food to underserved communities will be coordinated through local nonprofits, food banks, and other organizations engaging in food assistance programs."