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Statement on additional USDA funding for emergency food assistance

The Greater Chicago Food Depository applauds the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s decision to provide $1 billion in additional funding to support the emergency food system.

Following a year of record need for food in our communities, and in the absence of more consistent funding under a Farm Bill, the commitment of resources announced Tuesday (October 1) come at a critical time. Emergency food providers like the Food Depository and its local partners continue to meet elevated demand as families struggle to regain financial stability amid inflation, cost of living increases and the loss of pandemic-relief benefits.

An additional $500 million allocated for The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) will provide Illinois and other states with more American-grown USDA commodities to distribute to emergency food providers like food banks and their local partners. Need for food in the community remains elevated, and food banks throughout Feeding America’s national network continue to see more families visiting pantries each month than ever before.

An additional $500 million to support the purchase of nutritious, locally grown foods from small, historically disinvested farmers to distribute to communities in need was also secured. The Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA) - known as IL-EATS in Illinois – helps create equity within the local food system, increasing business opportunities for growers and expanding access to food for families facing food insecurity.

Tuesday’s commitment marks the third round of stopgap funding for TEFAP and a second round of interim funding for LFPA which have been necessary due to the delay in passing a five-year Farm Bill. The Food Depository urges Congress to deliver a Farm Bill before the end of the year that includes permanent and consistent funding for TEFAP and LFPA, while also protecting USDA’s authority to take swift interim funding action like these during times of unforeseen need.

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