The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on Wednesday announced it has signed a cooperative agreement allowing the Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA) to obtain food through the federal Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Progam.
The move allows KDA to purchase and distribute locally grown, produced, and processed foods through underserved producers.
(Image from USDA)
“Kentucky’s rich agricultural land doesn’t shield its residents from food insecurities,” said Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles. “With one in seven Kentuckians, including one in six children, facing food struggles, we are extremely excited for the opportunities this grant presents. We will be able to provide quality food to those who need it most. Our KDA Food Distribution team will work hard to get the most out of this USDA grant resulting in the biggest impact for our state.”
The LFPA program is authorized by the American Rescue Plan to maintain and improve food and agricultural supply chain resiliency. The 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.
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.
“USDA is excited to partner with Kentucky 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.”
KDA will use LFPA program funding to purchase foods from underserved local producers from across the Commonwealth and distribute them to underserved populations using a network of existing partnerships along with newer concepts.
More information about the program is available on AMS’s Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program webpage.
United States Department of Agriculture
