Over the past several years, there has been a tremendous increase of programs across the United States that aim to strengthen small farm viability and food security by connecting local farms to food assistance distribution partners such as food banks, food pantries, and other grassroots efforts to end hunger.
One of the new programs aimed at food systems transformation that the agency is piloting is the USDA Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement (LFPA) program. With a total budget of $900M, LFPA (led by the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service’s Commodity Procurement Program) is a transformative federal initiative that empowers state agencies, tribal governments, and their community partners to collaboratively source and distribute food, benefiting local and USDA-defined “socially disadvantaged” producers and underserved communities.
To support the success of the LFPA program, the Wallace Center is conducting research, providing technical assistance, and convening a national farm to food assistance (F2FA) Community of Practice to amplify and share best practices in this emerging field.
Years Active: 2021 – 2024
Since 2022, the Wallace Center has had the opportunity to learn from food systems leaders as they’ve implemented LFPA programs in their communities. In partnership with these leaders, we compiled these stories about some of the creative ways communities across the United States are using LFPA funding to benefit farmers and those experiencing food insecurity.
Key Findings from the National Food to Farm Assistance Survey >>
This national survey, conducted in the fall of 2022, aimed to understand how these Farm to Food Assistance (F2FA) programs function, who benefits from them, how they are funded, and how they have changed over time.
USDA Local Food Purchase Assistance Program: Initial Impacts, Opportunities, and Recommendations >>
Developed by Wallace Center and the Duke Sanford World Food Policy Center and published in 2023, this report shares our collective learning about what is working well, opportunities for improvement, and recommendations for sustaining this important program. The report is based on extensive research and offers the first comprehensive analysis of LFPA.