The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) today announced it has signed a cooperative agreement with Missouri under the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA). Through LFPA, the Missouri Department of Social Services (DSS) seeks to purchase and distribute locally grown, produced, and processed food from underserved producers.
“USDA is excited to partner with Missouri 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.”
With the LFPA funds, DSS will work with Family and Community Trust (FACT), a local non-profit corporation, to identify partnerships throughout the state to develop agreements on local supply and demand, nutritional needs, partnership development, and distribution with a network that includes producers, food banks, farmers and much more. The goal is to enhance the well-being of children, families, and the stability and economic viability of the communities where they live.
“This cooperative agreement allows us to continue to support families facing financial hardships across the state by ensuring they have access to nutritious, locally-produced food,” said Robert J. Knodell, Acting Director of the Missouri Department of Social Services. “The Department of Social Services is excited to extend this opportunity to Missouri citizens as we carry out our mission to empower Missourians to live safe, healthy, and productive lives.”
USDA’s Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program provides up to $900 million through non-competitive cooperative agreements to enable state, territory and tribal governments to support local, regional and underserved producers, and maintain or improve food and agricultural supply chain resiliency through the purchase of food produced within the state or within 400 miles of delivery destination. Funding for the program comes from the American Rescue Plan and the Commodity Credit Corporation.
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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