The USDA has launched another initiative to help unkink America’s food supply chain and make healthy food available at reasonable prices.
Speaking at Georgetown University on June 1, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack outlined a plan to deal with the supply and inflation issues that are afflicting food production and distribution. The initiative’s goals are to build a more resilient food supply chain, make nutritious food more accessible and affordable, and increase equity for rural and poor communities.
The $2 billion proposal includes up to $300 million to help farmers who are transitioning to organic production; up to $75 million to support “urban agriculture” like community gardens; and up to $375 million to support independent meat and poultry plants to diversify the supply chain.
“As the pandemic has evolved and Russia’s war in Ukraine has caused supply chain disruptions, it has become clear we cannot go back to the food system we had before,” USDA said in a statement.
The new initiative is on top of a similar one announced in April of last year.
