The Agriculture Department will distribute $1.7 billion for the purchase of locally and regionally produced food for emergency food assistance, said Agriculture deputy secretary Xochitl Torres Small on Tuesday. Most of the money would flow through schools, childcare facilities, and food banks and some would go directly to emergency food providers.
For the first time, the USDA said it would allot $200 million specifically for childcare facilities, which face challenges in purchasing food.
Along with assisting public nutrition programs, the purchases will provide income to farmers, said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. The USDA said the funding responds “to pre-existing needs that Hurricane Helene has exacerbated and provide an early foundation for future disaster assistance and long-term recovery efforts.”