USDA Partners with Iowa to Award Over $3 Million to Strengthen Food Supply Chain Infrastructure
WASHINGTON, February 9, 2024 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) today announced it has a cooperative agreement with Iowa under the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program (RFSI). Through this agreement, USDA and Iowa are working together to offer over $3 million in competitive grant funding for projects designed to build resilience across the middle of the supply chain. Iowa is accepting applications for this Infrastructure Grant funding through March 15, 2024.
In May 2023, USDA announced the availability of up to $420 million through RFSI to strengthen local and regional food systems. Through this program, AMS has entered into cooperative agreements with state agencies, commissions, or departments responsible for agriculture, commercial food processing, seafood, or food system and distribution activities or commerce activities in states or U.S. territories. RFSI is authorized by the American Rescue Plan. Updates for each state’s Request for Applications for the RFSI program are available on the AMS website.
“This partnership between USDA and Iowa is allowing critical funding to reach areas of the supply chain that need it most,” said USDA Marketing and Regulatory Programs Under Secretary Jenny Lester Moffitt. “The projects funded through this program will create new opportunities for the region’s small and midsize producers to thrive, expand access to nutritious food options, and increase supply chain resiliency.”
Using RFSI funding, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) will fund projects that build resilience in the middle of the food supply chain, by developing and improving markets for Iowa small farms and food businesses, investing in the development of Iowa local food processing, distribution and aggregation infrastructure and protecting fair prices, fair wages, and new and safe job opportunities. The state’s priorities are informed by stakeholder engagement and outreach to underserved producers to better understand their needs.
Those interested in receiving a subaward should apply directly through IDALS by March 15, 2024. AMS encourages applications that serve smaller farms and ranches, new and beginning farmers and ranchers, underserved producers, veteran producers, and underserved communities.
Through the program and in addition to the Infrastructure Grant funding, IDALS will support supply chain coordination and technical assistance to farmers and food businesses operating in processing, aggregation and distribution—all critical activities to support access to more and better markets for farmers.
