HARTFORD—U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and U.S. Representatives Rosa DeLauro (CT-3), John Larson (CT-1), Joe Courtney (CT-2), Jim Himes (CT-4) and Jahana Hayes (CT-5) this week submitted a public comment to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for ways to improve the new food purchase and delivery program. In the letter to Bruce Summers, the Administrator of Agricultural Marketing Service, the delegation made several suggestions on ways the department could help organizations and farmers in Connecticut as well as constituents dealing with food insecurity. The delegation suggests USDA prioritize contracts with small and mid-sized farms and increase program flexibilities to make it easier for food banks to manage the program.

“We write today to submit comments on behalf of farmers and stakeholders in our state on how we can better implement food purchase and donation programs that are intended to help those struggling with food insecurity. We appreciate the opportunity to offer these suggestions on behalf of farmers and families in our state,” the delegation wrote.

“A new USDA program should change program requirements to facilitate participation by food banks. The Farmer to Family Food Box program must be commended for rapidly responding to a food insecurity crisis. As of January, 2021, the program distributed 132.7 million boxes of food, which were a critical lifeline for millions of families across the country. However, the program had stringent requirements on box contents. Any new program should ensure food provided to those in need better aligns with consumer’s dietary and cultural preferences,” the delegation added.

“We suggest that any new program USDA creates prioritize: (1) small and mid-sized farms through awarding additional small contracts and sub-contracts; (2) vendors that commit to source local products, particularly products from minority or women-owned businesses and (3) vendors that had to lay off workers but make a commitment to rehiring those workers if awarded a contract,” the delegation continued.

You can read full text of the letter here and below:

Administrator Bruce Summers

Agricultural Marketing Service

1400 Independence Avenue SW

Washington, D.C. 20228

Dear Administrator Summers, 

We write today to submit comments on behalf of farmers and stakeholders in our state on how we can better implement food purchase and donation programs that are intended to help those struggling with food insecurity. We appreciate the opportunity to offer these suggestions on behalf of farmers and families in our state.

While farmers in our state wanted to participate in the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farmer to Family Food Box Program, they struggled to gain access and secure contracts under the program’s requirements. While a few Connecticut entities received contracts in the first funding solicitations of Farmer to Family Food Box, the program changed in later rounds and farmers in our state were unable to participate. Therefore, we suggest that any new program USDA creates prioritize: (1) small and mid-sized farms through awarding additional small contracts and sub-contracts; (2) vendors that commit to source local products, particularly products from minority or women-owned businesses and (3) vendors that had to lay off workers but make a commitment to rehiring those workers if awarded a contract.

A new USDA program should change program requirements to facilitate participation by food banks. The Farmer to Family Food Box program must be commended for rapidly responding to a food insecurity crisis. As of January, 2021, the program distributed 132.7 million boxes of food, which were a critical lifeline for millions of families across the country.  However, the program had stringent requirements on box contents. Any new program should ensure food provided to those in need better aligns with consumer’s dietary and cultural preferences. In addition, the requirement that food be packaged in boxes was a challenge for food banks. As a report by the National Coalition on Sustainable Agriculture and the Food Law and Policy Clinic at Harvard Law School notes, “the Program dictated that distributors deliver the food in boxes or in pallets of boxes, despite the fact that many food banks prefer and most efficiently process food stored on pallets”. The program could be further improved by requiring vendors to include bi-lingual information on how recipients can apply for other federal and state assistance programs.

Finally, the contracts between the USDA and the participating entity should provide more time between when contracts are announced and when delivery periods begin in order to allow vendors to properly source product. This is particularly important for small and medium-sized producers. Second, the contract period should be clearly defined and potentially lengthened so vendors have a clear expectation of how long the program will last. 

We appreciate all the efforts of the USDA to help farmers and those struggling with food insecurity during this pandemic. We look forward to working with you further on these issues.

Sincerely, 

Chris Murphy

Richard Blumenthal

Rosa DeLauro

John Larson

Joe Courtney

Jim Himes

Jahana Hayes

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