The Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa in Minnesota and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) are partnering to support the procurement and disbursement of locally grown and produced foods, the agency announced recently.

The USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) and the Fond de Lac Band signed the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA) on Dec. 12, the agency announced at the time. 

The tribe will use the LFPA funds to establish the Aandanjigewin LFPA program, the announcement reports. The program will buy food products directly from local harvesters and producers, and the food will be distributed to 500 Fond du Lac households, according to the announcement.

"Through these efforts," the USDA states in the announcement, "the Fond du Lac Band aims to reduce food insecurity, create economic opportunity, revitalize traditional foodways, advocate for tribal sovereignty, expand understanding of treaty rights within the ceded territories, and foster a decolonized local food system within the Fond du Lac community."

LFPAs provide up to $900 million to help state, territory and tribal governments support local and regional food producers, with a focus on producers from historically underserved communities. Funding also helps local communities build supply-chain resiliency by purchasing food produced in the state or within 400 miles of its destination, according to the announcement.

 USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs said LFPAs improve agriculture and food supply-chain resiliency and increase the consumption of local foods all around the country.

“USDA is excited to partner with the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa to promote economic opportunities for farmers and producers," Moffitt said in the announcement, "and to increase access to locally sourced, fresh, healthy, and nutritious food in underserved communities."