NFU Applauds USDA Investment in Food Security
WASHINGTON – As part of its ongoing efforts to address food insecurity, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that it will invest $1 billion in the nutrition safety net. Those funds will be split among several initiatives, including $500 million for The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), $100 million to bolster food infrastructure, and $400 million to source food from local or socially disadvantaged producers.
National Farmers Union (NFU) has long held the position that access to safe and nutritious food is a basic human right. To secure that right, the organization advocates strong federal nutrition programs that place an emphasis on fresh and local foods. Because the administration’s approach closely aligns with those policies, NFU President Rob Larew applauded today’s announcement:
“No one should have to worry about where their next meal might come from. Unfortunately, that has been the reality for far too many American families, both during the pandemic and long before.
“But it doesn’t need to be this way. Family farmers and ranchers work hard to feed their communities, and there is more than enough food to go around. By strengthening the nutrition safety net, the Biden administration’s initiative would help mitigate our hunger crisis – while also offering farmers more options for distributing the food they grow. Both of these results will take us a few steps further on the path to pandemic recovery and to a food system that serves farmers and eaters alike.”
