The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) today announced it has signed a cooperative agreement with Mississippi under the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA). Through LFPA, the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce seeks to purchase and distribute locally grown, produced, and processed food from underserved producers.
“USDA is excited to partner with Mississippi to promote economic opportunities for farmers and producers and to increase access to locally sourced, fresh, healthy, and nutritious food in underserved communities,” said USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jenny Lester Moffitt. “The Local Food Purchase Cooperative Agreement Program will improve food and agricultural supply-chain resiliency and increase local food consumption around the country.”
Through the Local Food Purchase Assistance program, the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce (MDAC) will partner with the three Feeding America affiliated food banks that together will service all 82 counties in the state of Mississippi. The beneficiaries of this project include Mississippi’s underserved farmers and ranchers, processed food producers, and underserved communities.
“The Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce is pleased to administer USDA’s Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program. We look forward to partnering with three Feeding America affiliated food banks to get locally produced foods into the hands of those that need it the most. This program creates an opportunity for our Mississippi farmers and food producers and benefits the underserved communities across the state” said Andy Gipson, Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce.
The LFPA program is authorized by the American Rescue Plan to maintain and improve food and agricultural supply chain resiliency. Through this program, 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.
AMS looks forward to continuing to sign agreements under this innovative program that allows state and tribal governments to procure and distribute local and regional foods and beverages that are healthy, nutritious, and unique to their geographic area.
More information about the program is available on AMS’s Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program webpage.
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