The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service signed a cooperative agreement with the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission through the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program.
Under the LFPA program, the Oregon fish commission will strive to buy and distribute locally grown, produced and processed food from underserved producers. The agreement will support the commission's "food sovereignty," according to a Dec. 21 news release.
"USDA is excited to partner with the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission 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."
Under the agreement, the commission has agreed to use LFPA funds to purchase food products produced by underserved food producers throughout the state and to distribution those products to underserved communities, the release reported.
"We appreciate the USDA's support in providing this local food purchase assistance investment," Commission Executive Director Aja DeCoteau said in the news release, who noted the Commission's "member Tribes value the foods our homeland provides," whether that be salmon or garden and farm produce.
"By helping develop a food delivery system aligned with our cultural values, this investment will help our tribal communities access fresh and nutritious foods thereby improving their diets and overall well-being," DeCoteau continued, according to the release. "With this funding, CRITFC and our member tribes will continue to be at the center of the decision-making for our food supply along the Columbia River."
