by CFSA Policy Team | Wednesday, April 21, 2022 –
As conventional food supply chains broke down under the weight of COVID-19, the federal government made significant money available for investments in local and regional food production. Through laws like the American Rescue Plan and programs like Local Food Purchasing Agreements, USDA is putting billions of dollars in grants, cost-shares, and other funds to work, building local food economies that have always been underfunded.
Congress, however, has recently moved to repossess between $1.6 and $1.65 billion of this USDA funding. Reneging on these commitments will leave the agency without the resources to respond to the ongoing supply chain disruptions, further impacting farmers and the communities they support.
The programs that could be affected by this ‘rescission’ of funds include new meat processing investments, proposed regional food business centers, workforce development grants, and more.
With the COVID-19 pandemic revealing the risks of our reliance on overly-complex supply chains, Congress should be doubling down on support for the local food systems that feed our communities instead of slashing support.
With help from the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, Carolina Farm Stewardship Association and other food system leaders (43 and counting!) have published an open letter to the Carolina Congressional delegation opposing this rescission of USDA’s COVID-response funding.
View the letter and share it with your elected officials and encourage them to oppose this dangerous rescission of USDA funds.