NASDA Endorses Supply Chain Resiliency Act

The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture is supporting legislation designed to strengthen America's food supply chain and create new market opportunities for farmers and ranchers.

The American Food Supply Chain Resiliency Act would make permanent USDA investments in food processing, storage, transportation, and distribution infrastructure, areas often referred to as the "middle" of the supply chain.  Supporters say expanding that capacity could help producers reach more buyers, reduce bottlenecks, and keep more food dollars in rural communities.

“Federal investments play a key role in strengthening our nation’s food systems by connecting farmers, businesses and communities with the resources they need to succeed,” said NASDA CEO Ted McKinney. “The American Food Supply Chain Resiliency Act addresses critical gaps and provides the long-term investments needed to strengthen our domestic supply chains, support farm viability and ensure there is a stronger link between our farms and our communities.”

The American Food Supply Chain Resiliency Act would:

• Permanently authorize the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure program, providing continued USDA support for investments in aggregation, processing, storage, transportation, distribution and other middle-of-the-supply-chain infrastructure.
• Establish the Regional Food Systems Hubs program to provide business and technical assistance, market development support and coordination between states and services to strengthen regional food systems.

Supporters of the legislation add it would improve domestic market access, increase procurement opportunities, and help build a more resilient food system while supporting long-term farm profitability and rural economic growth.

If you have a story idea for the PNW Ag Network, call (509) 547-9791, or e-mail glenn.vaagen@townsquaremedia.com