USDA Food Systems Transformation Resources for Organic
Recorded Webinar Now Available in Learning Center
Today, USDA published a recorded webinar that provides a broad overview of USDA investments in the Food System Transformation (FST) Framework available to the organic community. To frame the discussion on the upcoming November 15 Listening Session on pinpointed organic market development, AMS encourages the organic community to view this recorded webinar prior to the listening session to better understand existing programs accessible to organic producers. The webinar highlights programs administered by the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) and USDA Rural Development that support developing local and regional food supply chains.
USDA is committed to strengthening the U.S. food supply chain and transforming the food system to create a fair, competitive, distributed, and resilient food system. In June 2022, Secretary Vilsack announced the FST, a framework intended to transform the food system to benefit consumers, producers and rural communities by providing more options, increasing access, and creating new, more, and better markets for small and mid-size producers.
Learn about USDA resources available to support your work throughout the supply chain. The webinar—AMS Transforming the US Food System through Grants, Cooperative Agreements, Technical Assistance, and Other Resources—is now available in the USDA Organic Integrity Learning Center and can be accessed within the NOP 998: NOP Presentations Course.
To see the presentation and additional resources in the USDA Organic Integrity Learning Center (OILC), click here.
About FST and the Organic Transition Initiative
The USDA Food System Transformation aims to:
- Build a more resilient food supply chain that provides more and better market options for consumers and producers while reducing carbon pollution.
- Create a fairer food system that combats market dominance and helps producers and consumers gain more power in the marketplace by creating new, more and better local market options.
- Make nutritious food more accessible and affordable for consumers.
- Emphasize equity by creating wealth that stays in small towns and underserved communities.
Read about the Organic Transition Initiative, an FST program.
USDA Risk Management Agency
Announces Expanded Outreach on Crop Insurance to Underserved Producers
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing about $3.3 million in two new partnerships that will train and equip the next generation of crop insurance agents, adjusters, and outreach educators about crop insurance options. These partnerships with the Intertribal Agriculture Council (IAC) and the University of Arkansas’ Southern Risk Management Education Center further efforts by USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) to broaden participation in crop insurance, especially among underserved producers.
RMA and the IAC will strategically engage with minority-serving institutions and underserved stakeholder groups that will train, credential, and establish a pipeline of crop insurance agents and adjusters within underserved agricultural communities. The initiative’s goal is to increase the representation of underserved insurance agents and loss adjusters providing service to underserved communities.
RMA and the Southern Risk Management Education Center will strengthen outreach and technical assistance to underserved farmers and ranchers through the development of risk management program navigators. These navigators will be program specialists trained by project collaborators to provide strategic outreach and engage underserved agricultural populations about federal crop insurance.
|
