From staff reports Underserved communities across the U.S. will soon have better access to fresh and healthy food thanks to a $5.8 million partnership between the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Reinvestment Fund.
The investments are made through the Healthy Food Financing Initiative Planning Grant Program, which provides grants to organizations for healthy food retail or food retail supply chain projects in early planning and predevelopment phases.
Through HFFI, the USDA partners with Reinvestment Fund to bring healthy food options to underserved rural, urban and tribal communities. Reinvestment Fund serves as the National Fund Manager for USDA. It raises capital, provides financial and technical assistance to regional, state and local partnerships; and helps fund projects to improve access to fresh, healthy foods in underserved areas.
USDA Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small announced the partnership on Nov. 1.
“No matter where you live in our country, you should be able to get affordable, fresh, and healthy food close to home,” Torres Small said. “Through the Biden-Harris administration, USDA is working with farmers and ranchers, food retailers and other stakeholders to strengthen the local and regional food systems we all count on.”
This partnership is a part of USDA’s comprehensive set of efforts, bolstered by funding from the American Rescue Plan Act, to increase the quantity and quality of markets that benefit producers and American consumers.
The announcement includes investments that will support planning activities for 45 projects to develop or expand food retail and food retail supply chain business models.
Projects announced today will increase access to healthy food for people living in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.