Public Affairs
WASHINGTON, Dec. 13, 2023 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service today announced it has a cooperative agreement with California under the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program (RFSI). Through this agreement, USDA and California are working together to offer over $30 million in competitive grant funding for projects designed to build resilience across the middle of the supply chain. California is accepting applications for this Infrastructure Grant funding through February 26, 2024.
In May 2023, USDA announced the availability of up to $420 million through RFSI to strengthen local and regional food systems. Through this program, AMS has entered into cooperative agreements with state agencies, commissions, or departments responsible for agriculture, commercial food processing, seafood, or food system and distribution activities or commerce activities in states or U.S. territories. RFSI is authorized by the American Rescue Plan.
“This partnership between USDA and California is allowing critical funding to reach areas of the supply chain that need it most,” said USDA Marketing and Regulatory Programs Under Secretary Jenny Lester Moffitt. “The projects funded through this program will create new opportunities for the region’s small and midsize producers to thrive, expand access to nutritious food options, and increase supply chain resiliency.”
Using RFSI funding, the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) will fund infrastructure projects that improve capacity and resilience in the middle of the supply chain for domestic food and farm businesses and other eligible entities. Middle-of-the-supply-chain activities include processing, aggregation, and/or distribution of targeted agricultural products. CDFA has identified multiple funding priorities for projects such as those that benefit historically underserved farmers, enhance worker safety or facilitate compliance with the Produce Safety Rule of the Food Safety Modernization Act, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, enhance traceability capacity to comply with the Food Traceability Rule, and facilitate training related to food safety, process modernization, and use of equipment or enhanced facilities.
“We’ve learned a great deal in the last several years about challenges at all points in the supply chain,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. “We appreciate the foresight and commitment of the USDA to strengthen our food systems at all points.”
Those interested in receiving a subaward should apply directly through CDFA by February 26, 2024. AMS encourages applications that serve smaller farms and ranches, new and beginning farmers and ranchers, underserved producers, veteran producers, and underserved communities.
Through the program and in addition to the Infrastructure Grant funding, CDFA will support supply chain coordination and technical assistance to farmers and food businesses operating in processing, aggregation and distribution—all critical activities to support access to more and better markets for farmers.
For more information, visit the AMS Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure webpage.
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USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.
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