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Source: USDA, 4/21/21
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking comments on a Department-wide
effort to improve and reimagine the supply chains for the production,
processing and distribution of agricultural commodities and food products. USDA
is taking this action in response to Executive Order 14017, America’s Supply Chains, signed by President Biden on Feb. 24, 2021.
The request for comments is published today in the Federal Register and
the comment period will close on May 21, 2021.The comments received
will help USDA assess the critical factors, risks, and strategies needed to
support resilient, diverse, and secure supply chains and ensure U.S. economic
prosperity, national security, and nutrition security for all Americans. Such
supply chains are needed to address conditions that can reduce critical
processing and infrastructure capacity and the availability and integrity of
critical goods, products, and services. Identifying food system supply
chain-bottlenecks and vulnerabilities also may provide valuable insights into
the competitive and fair markets landscape, effects on local and regional producers
and processors, and equitable access to food and economic opportunity across
diverse communities. USDA will use the comments to prepare a report required by
Executive Order 14017. “We have an opportunity to take the lessons we’ve learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and apply those to transforming our nation’s food system from the inside out, including our supply chains,” said Vilsack. “USDA plans to tackle this supply chain assessment holistically – looking across a full range of risks and opportunities. From elevating the importance of local and regional food systems, to addressing the needs of socially disadvantaged and small to mid-size producers, to supporting sustainable practices to advance resilience and competitiveness, this top to bottom assessment will position USDA to make long-term, transformative changes for economic, national, and nutritional security.” In addition to asking about the agricultural supply chain, USDA is interested in comments about how to target pandemic-related stimulus relief programs and spending authorized by Congress in the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) toward long term, systemic change that results in food supply chain resiliency. In particular, the request for comment seeks input on—
- bolstering local and regional
food systems,
- developing new market
opportunities (including for value-added agriculture and products),
- creating fairer and more
competitive markets,
- meeting the needs of the
agricultural workforce,
- supporting and promoting consumers’ nutrition security, particularly for low-income populations,
- addressing the needs of socially
disadvantaged and small to mid-sized producers, and
- advancing efforts in other ways
to transform the food system.
USDA is undertaking this effort to strengthen U.S. competitiveness with attention to our farmers, ranchers, producers, food processors, and other important links in the food supply chain. Under Secretary Vilsack’s leadership, USDA is helping to accelerate a transformation of our food system. Goals of this transformation include a fairer, more competitive, and transparent system where a greater share of the food dollar goes to those growing, harvesting, and preparing our food and one that promotes and strengthens the overall health and well-being of people, our land and water, and our economy. Growing consolidation in food and agriculture, the general health of our population, a growing climate crisis, and the need to ensure racial justice and equity are important factors to take into consideration as USDA looks at strengthening food and agricultural supply chains. The deadline for comments
is May 21, 2021. More information about how to submit comments in is available
in the Notice. 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, ensuring access to 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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