Newhouse Introduces Bill to Ensure Nation’s Food Supply Chain Remains a National Priority
American Farms, Food Banks, and Families Act creates USDA position to empower farmers and ranchers to donate to enhance food security, strengthen food supply chain
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) introduced the American Farms, Food Banks, and Families Act to ensure our nation's food supply chain remains a national priority.
"As former Director of the Washington State Department of Agriculture and a farmer, I have seen firsthand the difficulties and barriers farmers and ranchers face in donating products to food banks and other food distribution services in our state and across the country," said Rep. Newhouse. "We should encourage our local producers to provide food for American families, especially in times of crisis. By creating this position at USDA and identifying regulations and statues that hinder the ability to donate and distribute their products, we can empower our communities to enhance food security and strengthen our national food supply chain."
The American Farms, Food Banks, and Families Act authorizes a new position within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), either designated or appointed by the Secretary. The "Agriculture Supply Chain Administrator" is charged with developing efficiencies and addressing the key challenges within the domestic agriculture food supply chain.
Key points to address by the Administrator include: identifying barriers, either regulatory or statutory, which prevent or inhibit domestic growers from offering their product to the domestic market through food distribution entities; promoting the domestic supply chain; and connecting growers with surplus products with appropriate food distribution organizations.
The Administrator is also tasked with convening a Federal Advisory Committee with the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), other appropriate federal agencies, and industry stakeholders to collaborate and advise the Administrator on addressing inefficiencies.
Finally, the American Farms, Food Banks, and Families Act will establish – in coordination with AMS and industry stakeholders – a national database to record and report excess agricultural products and food distribution organizations in need of the available products.
Click here to read the text of the bill.