The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) is proposing to administer $37,800,000 through a noncompetitive cooperative agreement for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service’s (AMS) Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA).
The purpose of the award is to maintain and improve Texas’ food and agricultural supply chain resiliency. TDA will create a program that will foster in-state, long-term relationships and build sustainable market opportunities for State producers, with an emphasis on supporting small and socially disadvantaged producers to increase the amount of products distributed to underserved populations in the state. The goal is to tailor food distribution for unique local challenges to serve the population and feeding programs, including food banks, and other organizations that target underserved communities.
The State will administer the LFPA program funds through a competitive grant program allowing food banks, nonprofits, and other social service organizations to apply for a portion of the Texas LFPA funds. Program staff will engage with subrecipients to foster sustainable new markets for purchasing state products, especially from socially disadvantaged producers for underserved populations.