Yesterday, U.S. Department of Agriculture Deputy Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Mae Wu was joined by North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper and North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services Chief Deputy Commissioner David Smith in Durham, N.C., to announce the signing of cooperative agreements between USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service and state under the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program and the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program.
The funding provided by these programs will enable the North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services to purchase locally and regionally grown, produced and processed food from underserved farmers and producers and distribute the food to local communities and schools.
“USDA is excited to partner with North Carolina to promote economic opportunities for farmers and producers and to increase access to locally sourced, fresh, healthy, and nutritious food in underserved communities and in schools,” said Deputy Under Secretary Wu. “The Local Food Purchase Cooperative Agreement Program and the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program will improve food and agricultural supply-chain resiliency and increase local food consumption around the country.”
“We have the best agriculture industry in the world right here in North Carolina,” said Governor Roy Cooper. “It’s great to see this collaboration between state and federal government connecting farmers with schools to get students the healthy meals they need.”
For more information:
USDA Public Affairs
Tel.: +1 (202) 720-8998
[email protected]
