August 28, 2024 - Agri-Pulse
Agri-Pulse spotlighted the Native Farm Bill Coalition in an article titled “Advocates press USDA to solve food aid shortages,” for advocacy efforts surrounding the FDPIR & CSFP warehouse crisis that has impacted thousands across Indian Country. Kayla Gebeck Carroll, an NFBC Council Member, gives additional insight to navigating the food shortage alongside Mary Greene-Trottier, president of the National Association for Food Distribution Programs on Indian Reservations. Read an excerpt of the article:
More than 100 tribal organizations have faced shortages since May in the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) and the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) following supply chain disruptions for the program’s contractor. They report significant delays or unwarned canceled deliveries, incorrect orders or even expired and compromised foods.
“It’s been a nightmare,” said Mary Greene-Trottier, president of the National Association for Food Distribution Programs on Indian Reservations. FDPIR food packages are sourced by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service and Food and Nutrition Service. More than 50,000 people rely on FDPIR for food each month. CSFP serves about 720,000 seniors.
As of Friday, 48% of FDPIR sites were still missing at least one food item, said Kayla Gebeck Carroll, federal lobbyist for the Native Farm Bill Coalition. Members of Congress have pushed for more information and transparency from USDA. So far, bipartisan groups including the House Agriculture Committee, Senate Agriculture leaders and key appropriators have sent four letters to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack.
Recently USDA offered at least $11 million of Commodity Credit Corporation funds to FDPIR emergency purchases. Some 50 of 110 tribes have signed agreements for CCC funds, according to USDA. However, this is not representative of all groups that need help, Carroll said. The Native Farm Bill Coalition said tribes need help with the necessary paperwork. Some have a small staff, may be focused on responding to the crisis and lack capacity to fill out the forms. “We're continuing to press them to try to get more folks to use this, because honestly, this is the only solution they've put out that's providing emergency relief,” Carroll said of Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) funds.
USDA has dedicated employees to solving the problem and is reviewing processes to prevent similar situations in the future.
...
Read the full article by clicking the button below.
تعليقات