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Farmers to Families Food Box program ends

The Farmers to Families Food Box program will not be a part of food security relief efforts going forward.  USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack confirmed that Wednesday and told the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and related agencies the program had numerous problems. “There was a significant difference of administrative costs. In some cases, people were charging a tremendous amount just to fill the boxes. There was inadequate accounting of where the boxes were actually delivered. There was a lot of food waste and loss that we uncovered as a result of these listening sessions.”

Vilsack says USDA will continue to provide healthy food, but they will do it through the most efficient system they have. “Our theory is that we create opportunities through the TEFAP program through what exists with our food banks and our food pantry system which is incredibly efficient and incredibly effective at getting resources out to folks.”

Vilsack told the subcommittee some elements of the Farmers to Families Food Box program will continue. “We just announced a produce box that will be funneled through that system. We’ve got the dairy donation program that we’re going to set up as well to help the dairy industry, so we’re going to try to take what we’ve learned at the best of that program and incorporate it into our traditional, regular programs.”

Vilsack says making the change is the best of both worlds, with products being used, nutritious products being available to people, delivered through an efficient and effective delivery mechanism that is accountable.

National Milk Producers Federation President and CEO Jim Mulhern says the Farmers to Families Food Box program was helpful, but also had its challenges, so he expected Vilsack would end the program. Mulhern says, “The important focus now is addressing the twin needs of assisting food insecure families and aiding food supply chains like dairy that are still dealing with the effects of reduced foodservice demand. We support USDA’s efforts to use multiple programs, including TEFAP, Section 32, the new dairy donation program and other efforts to purchase dairy products, produce, meat and other products for distribution through food banks and other charitable organizations in the most efficient and effective ways. This will help farmers do what they do best: Serve people who benefit from the nutrition they provide.”

Dr. Phil Knight with the Food Bank Council of Michigan says they are overwhelmed with an increase in their food distribution of 46% over the last year, with 50% of donated food coming from the USDA via trade mitigation or Farmers to Families food boxes. Knight says, “They’re discontinuing this program because of some of the difficulties they ran into, but they’re not walking away from the need. I’m confident that they’re going to be able to do something.”

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall says he was surprised to learn of Vilsack’s decision to end the Farmers to Families Food Box program. In a statement, Duvall says, “The pandemic had a devastating effect on farmers, ranchers and families across the country when schools, cafeterias and restaurants shut down. More than 150 million food boxes were produced and helped America’s families suffering from the hardships caused by COVID-19. The need is still there. America’s farmers and ranchers feed the world and we believe no one should go hungry. We look forward to continuing working with Secretary Vilsack and learn how USDA plans to address the heightened need at food banks while providing a destination for the fresh, healthy food being produced by farm families across the country.”

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