WASHINGTON, Nov. 22, 2022 – The U.S. Division of Agriculture (USDA) immediately introduced an funding of $59.4 million to assist the Gus Schumacher Vitamin Incentive Program’s (GusNIP) Produce Prescription and Vitamin Incentive applications designed to encourage households and people to eat extra healthfully by growing entry to recent vegetables and fruit. This funding delivers on a dedication made within the Biden-Harris Administration’s Nationwide Technique on Starvation, Vitamin, and Well being to enhance entry to wholesome and inexpensive meals.

Dr. Chavonda Jacobs-Younger, USDA Chief Scientist and Below Secretary for Analysis, Training and Economics, visited the Takoma Park Silver Spring (TPSS) Co-op in Takoma Park, Maryland. Crossroads Group Meals Community in partnership with TPSS is receiving funding below this program to launch “12 months-Spherical Contemporary Checks” to develop entry to inexpensive recent vegetables and fruit within the Takoma/Langley Crossroads group, a primarily immigrant neighborhood simply exterior Washington, D.C. Over the course of the undertaking, it’s anticipated that 3,000 Supplemental Vitamin Help Program (SNAP) customers will spend $450,000, which will probably be matched with $450,000 in incentives ($250,000 from federal funds and $200,000 from state and native matching {dollars}).

“Companions akin to Crossroads Group Meals Community, Inc., are invaluable for USDA’s diet safety efforts,” stated Jacobs-Younger. “By understanding the lived experiences of their group, they assist ship USDA applications into the fingers of the individuals who want them most.”

GusNIP applications try to enhance dietary well being via elevated consumption of recent produce, enhance particular person and family meals safety, and scale back well being care use and related prices. GusNIP Vitamin Incentive applications present incentives on the level of buy amongst income-eligible customers taking part in USDA’s SNAP and income-eligible customers taking part in different USDA diet help applications. Produce Prescriptions leverage medical help applications to offer “prescriptions” from a well being care supplier for recent vegetables and fruit.

“Since its creation in 2019, GusNIP initiatives have elevated entry to wholesome meals, and this funding serves to make sure that much more customers can present recent, locally-grown vegetables and fruit for his or her households,” stated Dr. Dionne Toombs, Performing Director of the USDA Nationwide Institute of Meals and Agriculture (NIFA), the entity administering the awards. “Actually, because of extra funding supplied via the American Rescue Plan Act, NIFA is increasing our attain to many first-time program candidates from underrepresented communities nationwide.”

Forty-three awards make up a $20.7 million Produce Prescription Program funding via USDA’s American Rescue Plan funding for the GusNIP program. Among the many 43 FY22 Produce Prescription Program proposals awarded, 95% are first-time candidates to the GusNIP Produce Prescription Program, and 60% are new entries to NIFA total. As well as, $38.7 million will assist eight GusNIP Vitamin Incentive initiatives.

Along with Crossroads Group Meals Community, Inc., examples of initiatives receiving funding embody:

  • The Keya Basis, Inc., in Timber Lake, South Dakota’s Produce Prescription Program will serve the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. The undertaking will tackle a urgent want in American Indian communities to extend fruit and vegetable consumption and promote optimum cardio-metabolic well being for households with school-aged kids.
  • Kahuku Medical Heart in Kahuku, Hawaii, goals to fill the hole in accessibility and affordability of nutritious, domestically grown vegetables and fruit for low-income people in danger for, or recognized with, a nutrition-related power situation utilizing a collaborative strategy to enhance well being outcomes amongst these at best threat, whereas increasing native meals producers’ financial alternatives and agricultural infrastructure.
  • The Farmers Market Fund in Portland, Oregon, will develop its Double up Meals Bucks program to extra retailers, enabling SNAP contributors to extend their purchases of native vegetables and fruit. Contributors at 80 farmers markets, 10 farm stands, 45 grocery shops and 40 Group Supported Agriculture fashions in 34 of Oregon’s 36 counties will obtain a dollar-for-dollar incentive on the level of buy in 2023 and 2024.

By bringing collectively stakeholders from numerous elements of the meals and well being care methods, GusNIP initiatives assist foster understanding to enhance the well being and diet standing of taking part households, facilitate progress in underrepresented communities, and accumulate and combination information to determine and enhance finest practices on a broad scale.

The Biden-Harris Administration’s Nationwide Technique gives a roadmap of actions the federal authorities will take to finish starvation and scale back diet-related illnesses by 2030 – all whereas decreasing disparities. The Nationwide Technique was launched together with the primary White Home Convention on Starvation, Vitamin and Well being in over 50 years, hosted by President Biden on September 28, 2022.

USDA touches the lives of all People every day in so many optimistic methods. Within the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is reworking America’s meals system with a higher give attention to extra resilient native and regional meals manufacturing, fairer markets for all producers, making certain entry to protected, wholesome and nutritious meals in all communities, constructing new markets and streams of earnings for farmers and producers utilizing climate-smart meals and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean-energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to fairness throughout the Division by eradicating systemic limitations and constructing a workforce extra consultant of America. To study extra, go to www.usda.gov.

#

USDA is an equal alternative supplier, employer, and lender.