WASHINGTON, Nov. 22, 2022 – The U.S. Division of Agriculture (USDA) at this time introduced an funding of $59.4 million to help the Gus Schumacher Diet Incentive Program’s (GusNIP) Produce Prescription and Diet Incentive packages designed to encourage households and people to eat extra healthfully by growing entry to recent fruit and veggies. This funding delivers on a dedication made within the Biden-Harris Administration’s National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health 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 beneath this program to launch “12 months-Spherical Contemporary Checks” to develop entry to inexpensive recent fruit and veggies within the Takoma/Langley Crossroads neighborhood, a primarily immigrant neighborhood simply exterior Washington, D.C. Over the course of the venture, it’s anticipated that 3,000 Supplemental Diet Help Program (SNAP) customers will spend $450,000, which might 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 vitamin safety efforts,” mentioned Jacobs-Younger. “By understanding the lived experiences of their neighborhood, they assist ship USDA packages into the arms of the individuals who want them most.”
GusNIP packages attempt to enhance dietary well being by means of elevated consumption of recent produce, enhance particular person and family meals safety, and cut back well being care use and related prices. GusNIP Diet Incentive packages present incentives on the level of buy amongst income-eligible shoppers taking part in USDA’s SNAP and income-eligible shoppers taking part in different USDA vitamin help packages. Produce Prescriptions leverage medical help packages to offer “prescriptions” from a well being care supplier for recent fruit and veggies.
“Since its creation in 2019, GusNIP tasks have elevated entry to wholesome meals, and this funding serves to make sure that much more shoppers can present recent, locally-grown fruit and veggies for his or her households,” mentioned Dr. Dionne Toombs, Performing Director of the USDA Nationwide Institute of Meals and Agriculture (NIFA), the entity administering the awards. “In truth, because of extra funding offered by means of 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 investment by means of 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 general. As well as, $38.7 million will help eight GusNIP Nutrition Incentive projects.
Along with Crossroads Group Meals Community, Inc., examples of tasks receiving funding embrace:
- The Keya Basis, Inc., in Timber Lake, South Dakota’s Produce Prescription Program will serve the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. The venture will deal with 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 youngsters.
- Kahuku Medical Heart in Kahuku, Hawaii, goals to fill the hole in accessibility and affordability of nutritious, domestically grown fruit and veggies 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 danger, 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 fruit and veggies. Members 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 components of the meals and well being care programs, GusNIP tasks assist foster understanding to enhance the well being and vitamin standing of taking part households, facilitate progress in underrepresented communities, and gather and mixture information to establish and enhance greatest practices on a broad scale.
The Biden-Harris Administration’s Nationwide Technique offers a roadmap of actions the federal authorities will take to finish starvation and cut back diet-related ailments by 2030 – all whereas lowering disparities. The Nationwide Technique was launched at the side of the primary White Home Convention on Starvation, Diet and Well being in over 50 years, hosted by President Biden on September 28, 2022.
USDA touches the lives of all Individuals every day in so many optimistic methods. Within the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is reworking America’s meals system with a larger concentrate on extra resilient native and regional meals manufacturing, fairer markets for all producers, making certain entry to secure, 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 boundaries and constructing a workforce extra consultant of America. To study extra, go to www.usda.gov.
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