[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 49 (Wednesday, March 20, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S2471]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. REED (for himself, Mr. Brown, Mr. Booker, Mr. Wyden, Ms. 
        Butler, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. King, Mr. Blumenthal, Ms. Smith, 
        Mrs. Shaheen, Ms. Warren, Mr. Fetterman, and Mr. Welch):
  S. 3982. A bill to amend the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 to 
establish the Expanding Access to Local Foods Program, and for other 
purposes; to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
  Mr. REED. Madam President, today I am introducing the Expanding 
Access to EAT Local Foods Act with Senators Brown, Booker, Wyden, 
Butler, Whitehouse, King, Blumenthal, Smith, Shaheen, Warren, 
Fetterman, and Welch. This bill would create a permanent grant program 
for State and Tribal governments to procure local foods for 
distribution to nearby hunger relief programs.
  The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted national supply chains and 
highlighted the importance of resilient, local food systems. In 
response, the U.S. Department of Agriculture created the Local Food 
Purchase Cooperative Agreement, LFPA, Program, using nearly $900 
million in one-time funds. Through LFPA, USDA has awarded grants to 
State and Tribal governments to buy local foods for distribution to 
nearby feeding programs. LFPA provides as access to food for those in 
need, creates economic opportunity for local and underserved producers, 
farmers, and fishermen, and strengthens our food supply chains.
  This program is making a positive impact in communities across the 
country. In my home State of Rhode Island, the Rhode Island Department 
of Environmental Management has worked with the nonprofit Farm Fresh 
Rhode Island to purchase food from 95 local producers, distributing 
that nutritious, local food to over 65,000 Rhode Islanders.
  However, unless codified in law, this program will end when the one-
time LFPA dollars are fully expended. And without sustained investment, 
we will lose the resilient local food systems that the LFPA program has 
been able to create.
  The EAT Local Foods Act prevents us from losing ground by creating a 
permanent program for States and Tribes to purchase food from producers 
within their State's geographic bounds or within 400 miles of the final 
delivery destination for distribution through the hunger relief system.
  This is a win-win-win. First, the bill supports local economic 
development by providing local producers with access to the hunger 
relief market. By establishing a new, reliable stream of orders for 
small, beginning, and underserved farmers, ranchers, and fishers, the 
bill will give these businesses the financial security to invest and 
further expand. Second, the bill would strengthen our domestic 
agriculture supply chain. By investing in local food distribution, the 
bill would help build local businesses that support durable and 
resilient local food systems. Third, the EAT Local Foods Act would help 
combat food insecurity by providing fresh, nutritious, local food to 
underserved communities, feeding more families and helping ease the 
strain on the hunger relief system.
  I am pleased that the bill is supported by farmers, food hubs, 
coalitions, and business networks from across the country, including 
the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, the National Center for 
Frontier Communities, and the Wallace Center at Winrock International. 
In Rhode Island, the bill is supported by the Rhode Island Community 
Food Bank, Farm Fresh Rhode Island, the Commercial Fisheries Center of 
Rhode Island, the Rhode Island Food Policy Council, and Southside 
Community Land Trust. I hope that my colleagues will join me in 
supporting this legislation and in working to include it in the farm 
bill.
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