By Jaylen Cates, CFSA Policy Director | Thursday, Apr. 27, 2023 –
The Fresh Produce Procurement Reform Act (H.R. 5309) was introduced by Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) in 2021 and 2022—we anticipate a new version will be reintroduced any day now—to improve access to fresh fruits and vegetables for families in need across the United States.
The bill builds on the lessons learned from the Farmers to Families Food Box program and seeks to create a more nimble, responsive, inclusive, and resilient food distribution system for fresh produce. DeLauro will reintroduce the bill in early 2023 with recommended improvements.
Under the bill, the USDA would partner with existing farmers, distributors, and food hubs to purchase, pack, and deliver fresh fruits and vegetables to local food banks, schools, youth-serving organizations, tribal governments, and other nonprofit community members serving nutrition-insecure populations. Recipients would have access to a wide variety of U.S.-grown fresh fruits and vegetables guided by Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommendations, prioritizing locally-sourced products.
Our FarmsSHARE program is a model for what this can look like.
Top: A volunteer at a distribution partner, The Bulb in Charlotte, NC, packs fresh greens into a box for families in need to pick up. Credit and permission by Lisa Wendling. Bottom: A typical summer vegetable share distributed through High Country Food Hub in Boone, NC. Credit and permission by Liz Whiteman.
The Fresh Produce Procurement Reform Act would also direct the USDA to consider values other than lowest-cost bid in awarding contracts, providing opportunities for a wider variety of high-quality produce sourced, packed, and distributed from growers and distributors of all sizes, including veteran, women-owned, and socially-disadvantaged members of the agriculture community.
“[The] Fresh Produce Procurement Reform Act will build a more nimble, responsive, and resilient food distribution system for fresh produce that prioritizes locally-sourced products and supports growers and distributors of all sizes while improving access to nutritious food for families in need.”
“We know that access to fresh fruits and vegetables is critical to the health and well-being of families across our country, yet the current centralized model for food procurement is not effectively moving local fresh produce to those in need,” said Representative DeLauro. “[The] Fresh Produce Procurement Reform Act will build a more nimble, responsive, and resilient food distribution system for fresh produce that prioritizes locally-sourced products and supports growers and distributors of all sizes while improving access to nutritious food for families in need.”
The bill has already gained support from several organizations, including Feeding America, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, and National Young Farmers Coalition.
CFSA fully supports FPPRA, advocates for improvements in the next version of the bill, and advocates for its inclusion in the 2023 Farm Bill.
Want more? Check out our advocacy section to learn more about the farm bill and ways you can get involved to make this massive piece of legislation work for local food and small sustainable farms near you.