Responses to the announcement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regarding its food supply chain transformation plan have been largely positive. Multiple agricultural groups have expressed support for the Food Systems Transformation Framework. The plan includes significant investment in food production, food processing, food distribution and aggregation, and markets and consumers.
“NSAC believes these increased investments are critical to addressing longstanding structural challenges related to production systems, anti-competition and anti-consolidation, farmer incomes, rising food prices, and addressing equity and food access,” Policy Director for the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, Eric Deeble said in a news release. “When taken together with USDAs recent actions to fight concentration and consolidation and support climate focused conservation programs, these new investments will help farmers grow healthy, affordable foods for families in their own communities.”
Some specific investments that have received praise include $200 million for the Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops Program and $400 million to create regional food business centers. Groups such as the National Farmers Union and American Farmland Trust have said that the framework is an important step towards better resiliency of the food system. The overall food supply chain transformation plan is taking a comprehensive approach to collectively addressing a multitude of issues.
“We applaud the USDA on their ambitious approach shared in the ‘Food System Transformation Framework’ to achieve a more fair, competitive and resilient food system,” said Robert Guenther, Chief Public Policy Officer for the International Fresh Produce Association. “We have seen a variety of global disruptions expose many weaknesses in our U.S. and global food system. We look forward to the rollout of the plan that will focus on creating a more sustainable and resilient system that recognizes the importance for farmers to remain profitable while also expanding access to nutritious food for all.”
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