Tell Congress to make fresh, local USDA food programs permanent in the Farm Bill!
Restore Funding for USDA Programs that Address Hunger with Local Food

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For several years, farmers, schools, and food distributors have been working together to provide fresh, local food in schools and food pantries across the nation, thanks to two programs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)—the Local Food for Schools (LFS) Cooperative Agreement Program and the Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) Cooperative Agreement Program. 

>> Tell your U.S. Representative and Senators to make the Local Food for Schools (LFS) Cooperative Agreement Program and the Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) Cooperative Agreement Program permanent through the Farm Bill.

USDA has canceled the two programs that gave states, tribal governments, schools, and food banks money to buy local food from farmers. The LFS program awards money to states to buy local foods for schools and childcare institutions, and the LFPA program provides funding for state, tribal, and territorial governments to buy food produced within the state or within 400 miles of delivery destinations. 

Hunger is a serious problem, and the loss of this funding endangers the local programs that often use volunteers and depend on donations to meet their budgets. 

Combined, the programs would have provided more than $1 billion this fiscal year. The loss of these funds will have lasting effects on local food networks. Farmers—many of whom shifted their crops to accommodate the demand of the programs—depend on these contracts. Food banks and local schools will lose out on high-quality local produce. Thus, the funding cuts hurt hungry people as well as the farmers who grow the food. The programs have also been beneficial to organic farmers, who frequently market their produce locally, by providing a dependable market.

Congress has the power to create permanent versions of these programs that farmers and communities can depend on through the Farm Bill.  

>> Tell your U.S. Representative and Senators to make the Local Food for Schools (LFS) Cooperative Agreement Program and the Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) Cooperative Agreement Program permanent through the Farm Bill.. 

The target for this Action is the U.S. Congress. 

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↪️ For more information, please stay tuned for the Daily News post on April 28, 2025.

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Why we TAKE ACTION:

During these times, Beyond Pesticides urges sending a message even to those who refuse to listen. As we strive to adopt the changes essential for a livable future, we must create a record that is based on science, even when the science and the facts are dismissed by those in power. To this end, the failure of action to address the existential health, biodiversity, and climate crises by those in Congress and the administration empower lower levels of government and some corporations to step into the void left by those whose actions or inaction threaten life. Please feel free to reach out to the Beyond Pesticides team with feedback.