USDA, Colorado sign first cooperative agreement for the local procurement of food

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Division of Agriculture Agricultural Advertising and marketing Service immediately, April 13, introduced that it has signed its first cooperative settlement beneath the brand new Native Meals Buy Help Cooperative Settlement Program (LFPA) with the Colorado Division of Human Companies. Colorado is the primary state to enter right into a cooperative settlement beneath this system.

“The Native Meals Buy Cooperative Settlement Program demonstrates USDA’s dedication to working with state and tribal governments to strengthen native partnerships, tackle meals insecurity, and increase market alternatives for native agricultural merchandise,” mentioned USDA Below Secretary for Advertising and marketing and Regulatory Applications Jenny Lester Moffitt. “USDA is worked up to companion with Colorado on this primary cooperative settlement to raised help traditionally underserved producers and be sure that underserved communities have elevated entry to domestically sourced, wholesome, and nutritious meals.”

“We’re in a singular place to attach new and traditionally underrepresented communities to wholesome, native meals,” mentioned CDHS Govt Director Michelle Barnes. “CDHS is obsessed with assuaging starvation throughout the state, and we’re proud to companion with the USDA on this necessary effort to bolster meals entry. We hope this program touches these in want of meals, in addition to farmers, ranchers and meals producers, in as many areas of Colorado as potential.”

Below LFPA, the state will buy native meals utilizing a aggressive procurement course of for Colorado meals producers, for-profit organizations, and nonprofit organizations resembling meals banks and meals pantries. Colorado will use analysis standards to encourage candidates to focus on manufacturing of meals by small and traditionally underserved producers and distribution via meals pantries and attain underserved neighborhood members. The state intends to publish extra alternatives as consciousness of the chance expands.

The Colorado Division of Human Companies may also companion with the Colorado Division of Agriculture to reinforce cross-departmental experience and program data leading to strengthened technical help to producers and distribution websites and in expanded financial alternatives, together with sustainable markets, for native and traditionally underserved producers.

The LFPA program is permitted by the American Rescue Plan to take care of and enhance meals and agricultural provide chain resiliency. By means of this program, USDA will award as much as $400 million via non-competitive cooperative agreements with state and tribal governments to help native, regional, and underserved farmers and ranchers via the acquisition of meals produced inside the state or inside 400 miles of supply vacation spot.

AMS stands prepared to help states and tribal governments with their functions for cooperative agreements and appears ahead to persevering with to signal agreements beneath this progressive program that enables state and tribal governments to acquire and distribute native and regional meals and drinks which can be wholesome, nutritious, and distinctive to their geographic space.

Eligible state and tribal governments can apply to take part in this system now via Could 6, 2022, at http://www.grants.gov.

Extra details about this system is accessible AMS’s Native Meals Buy Help Cooperative Settlement Program webpage at https://www.ams.usda.gov/selling-food-to-usda/lfpacap.