WASHINGTON, Nov. 6, 2023 – At the 2023 White House Tribal Youth Summit, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) offers new resources to inspire Native American youth to explore Indigenous foodways and knowledge and highlight career paths at USDA and beyond. These efforts are part of USDA’s commitment to empowering tribal self-determination and bringing Indigenous perspectives into agriculture, food, and nutrition.

“USDA is reimagining how we support Indigenous agriculture and tribal communities,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “This includes reaching out to the next generation with educational opportunities both formal and informal.”

Among USDA actions:

“Sovereignty Gardens” Children’s Educational Animated Series. This series of short educational shows will help build excitement and pride with children about using Indigenous knowledge in gardening, food sovereignty, traditional foods, and healthy eating habits. “Sovereignty Gardens” uses animation and puppetry to follow Stompy the buffalo and his friend Bran through a series of learning adventures, which include cameos by Indigenous and scientific leaders. USDA Office of Tribal Relations entered into a cooperative agreement with Dr. Lee Francis (Pueblo of Laguna) (Indigi-Nerd/Native Realities) to create this animated series.

Indigenous Foods Foraging and Cooking Videos for Northeast and Southeast Regions. The Office of Tribal Relations Indigenous Food Sovereignty Initiative partnered with the North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems (NATIFS) to produce a series of videos on Indigenous foods foraging and cooking for the Northeast and Southeast regions to complement USDA’s Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) (commonly referred to as “commodities”) food packages. Last year, USDA released videos for the Midwest, Mountain Plains, and Southwest regions. Next year videos will be produced for Alaska and Hawaii.

Indigenous Knowledge Research Track Winners. USDA’s Office of Tribal Relations, in partnership with the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES), announces the first students selected for the newly launched AISES research track celebrating the intersection of Indigenous knowledge (IK) and western science and engineering. Selected students will carry out research projects studying topics such as ethnobotany, mental health, and traditional medicine. This year’s cohort will be the first in a three-year series.

New Four-Year Tuition Coverage for Tribal Scholars Program. The USDA 1994 Tribal Scholars Program provides full tuition, fees, books, a housing stipend, and paid workforce training to any interested and eligible student pursuing degrees in agriculture, food, natural resource sciences, or related academic disciplines at a tribal college or university (TCU). Eligible applicants include graduating high school seniors, full-time students currently enrolled at a 1994 land-grant tribal college or university, or recent TCU associate degree graduates. For FY 2024, 27 scholarship slots are available at: Agriculture Research Service, Farm Service Agency, Farm Production and Conservation, Forest Service, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and Natural Resources Conservation Service. The application deadline is Dec. 1, 2023. Visit the USDA 1994 Tribal Scholars Program or email 1994@usda.gov for further information.

New Forest Corps National Service Opportunity for Native Youth. AmeriCorps and U.S. Forest Service launched Forest Corps – a five-year $15 million agreement, and the first major interagency partnership under President Biden’s American Climate Corps. Beginning summer 2024, this program will engage 80 young adults, ages 18-26, in wildland fire prevention, reforestation, and other natural and cultural resource management projects to support the U.S. Forest Service’s Wildfire Crisis Strategy and Reforestation Strategy. Native youth will be recruited for Forest Corps in key locations to support cultural resource management projects. AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps/Forest Corps members will receive a compensation package equivalent to $15 an hour, including lodging, transportation, clothing, a living allowance, health benefit, and more. Members will receive extensive training, hands-on-experience, and leadership skills for future careers in natural resource management, forest health, and climate resilience at the U.S Forest Service or other organizations.

USDA Expands Access to Traditional Indigenous Foods in Schools. Soon, USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) will open applications on Grants.gov for the Supporting the Use of Traditional Indigenous Foods in the Child Nutrition Programs Cooperative Agreement. FNS will award a total of $2 million in grants to four organizations – either led by or partnering with an Indigenous organization or tribe – to provide regionally focused training and technical assistance to school nutrition professionals. The training and technical assistance will focus on school food procurement, preparation, and crediting of traditional Indigenous foods. Funds may be used to support the use of traditional Indigenous foods in school lunch, school breakfast, summer meals, meals and snacks served to children after school, and culturally relevant nutrition education for students. Each of the cooperative agreements will be awarded in four different regions of the country to maximize the number of tribes being served.

These actions are part of USDA’s efforts to better serve tribal governments, citizens, and organizations and build a more diverse pipeline into public service and the agricultural sector.

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production and fairer markets for all producers. USDA is dedicated to ensuring access to safe, healthy, and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers. In order to reach these goals, USDA encourages the use of climate smart food and forestry practices. USDA is making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America and is committed to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.

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USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

Posted by Cindy Long, USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service Administrator

Each opportunity to engage directly with the people we serve through our programs provides moments to learn and reflect. For far too long, decisions about the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations, also known as FDPIR, were made for tribes rather than with tribes or even by tribes. But USDA is committed to turning that tide and making the future of FDPIR one marked by listening, understanding and collaboration. Last month’s National Association of Food Distribution Programs on Indian Reservations Conference in Kansas City, Missouri, was the perfect occasion for FNS to discuss recent and upcoming changes to FDPIR with our tribal partners and hear feedback directly from those who would be impacted.

These actions include:

• Enhancing the FDPIR food package. FNS worked with tribes to inform these improvements, effective Sept. 1, which include:
  • Doubling the eggs provided;
  • Increasing the meat, poultry and fish participants can take by 67%;
  • Increasing vegetables included by nearly 40%; and
  • Adding strawberries and bison stew meat as options.
• Partnering with USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service and the Food Safety and Inspection Service to make it easier for bison raised by tribes to be included in the FDPIR food package.
• Adding new FDPIR Nutrition Education materials that participating tribes can order at no cost.
• Proposing changes to FDPIR regulations to level out differences in eligibility and benefits provided through FDPIR and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. These changes are open for comment until Oct. 13.
• Putting the power back in the hands of tribal nations to select and purchase foods for their FDPIR food packages directly rather than going through USDA. We’ve recently added eight additional tribes to the FDPIR Self-Determination Demonstration Project, which helps better align the packages with tribal dietary preferences, supports indigenous agricultural producers, and honors tribal sovereignty.

FNS will continue to make collaborative work with tribes a top priority. Working together, the future is looking bright for FDPIR.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 14, 2023 – U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service recently signed contracts with eight tribes for new Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations Self-Determination Demonstration Projects. Empowering tribal nations to select and purchase foods themselves helps better align FDPIR food packages with tribal dietary preferences, supports indigenous agricultural producers and honors tribal sovereignty.

“USDA is committed to supporting indigenous foodways, empowering indigenous agricultural economies and improving indigenous health through traditional foods. FDPIR demonstration projects – that give power back to the tribes to do what’s best for their people – are an important part of that effort,” said Stacy Dean, deputy under secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services.

FDPIR is one tool to strengthen nutrition security in tribal communities by providing USDA Foods to income-eligible households on tribal reservations and Native American households in approved areas near reservations or in Oklahoma. USDA distributes both food and administrative funding to participating tribes operating FDPIR. Under normal program operations, USDA purchases and provides all foods. Through these projects, tribes have more control over the contents of their FDPIR food packages, selecting and purchasing some of the foods themselves.

The tribes awarded today include:

• Cherokee Nation
• Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation
• Gila River Indian Community
• Quinault Indian Nation
• Sokaogon Chippewa Community
• Spirit Lake Tribe
• Tohono O’odham Nation
• White Mountain Apache Tribe

This round of funding totals nearly $4.4 million; USDA previously funded 8 other tribal nations, bringing the total to $10 million across the 16 tribal nations participating in this demonstration project. One example of the self-determination demonstration project in action is the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin’s and Oneida Nation’s joint project that provides locally procured ground beef, bison, beef roast, apples, white fish/lake trout, wild rice and walleye for Menominee and Oneida FDPIR participants. The White Mountain Apache Tribe’s proposal will procure locally produced patty pan squash, green chiles, blue corn meal, beef intestines, pine nuts/pinons and more. Learn more about each tribe’s project and find a map of participating tribes on the FNS website.

In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy, and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America.

USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service works to end hunger and improve food and nutrition security through a suite of more than 16 nutrition assistance programs, such as the school breakfast and lunch programs, WIC and SNAP. Together, these programs serve 1 in 4 Americans over the course of a year, promoting consistent and equitable access to healthy, safe, and affordable food essential to optimal health and well-being. FNS also provides science-based nutrition recommendations through the co-development of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. FNS’s report, “Leveraging the White House Conference to Promote and Elevate Nutrition Security: The Role of the USDA Food and Nutrition Service,” highlights ways the agency will support the Biden-Harris Administration’s National Strategy, released in conjunction with the historic White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health in September 2022. To learn more about FNS, visit www.fns.usda.gov and follow @USDANutrition.

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USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

WASHINGTON, April 19, 2023 – Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the availability of up to $125 million through two new grant programs that will create more options for meat and poultry farmers by investing in independent, local meat and poultry processing projects that increase competition and enhance the resiliency of the food supply chain.

These new grant programs, the Indigenous Animals Harvesting and Meat Processing Grant Program and the Local Meat Capacity Grant Program, are part of the broader $1 billion American Rescue Plan investment by the Biden-Harris Administration to expand processing capacity for small and midsized meat and poultry processors.

“This is the latest step in USDA’s transformational work to fill gaps and help small and underserved producers market their products, support thriving local and regional food systems by investing in processing capacity that’s closer to farms, and alleviate major bottlenecks in food and agricultural supply chains,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “Importantly, we’re also taking steps to increase the overall availability of protein from indigenous animals like bison, reindeer and salmon, which have been the backbone of tribal food systems for generations.”

Since July 2021, for example, USDA has worked with 30 businesses to expand their operations through Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Project grants and has helped many more work towards a federal grant of inspection through Meat and Poultry Inspection Readiness Grants. More information on USDA’s work to fulfill this commitment can be found at usda.gov/meat.

About the Indigenous Animals Harvesting and Meat Processing Grant Program

This new grant program will provide up to $50 million to improve tribal nations’ food and agricultural supply chain resiliency by developing and expanding value-added infrastructure related to meat from indigenous animals like bison, reindeer or salmon. The program will fund projects that focus on expanding local capacity for the harvesting, processing, manufacturing, storing, transporting, wholesaling or distribution of indigenous meats.

“This is a historic investment to support indigenous food supply chains by enhancing community food sovereignty and traditional harvesting methods,” said USDA Office of Tribal Relations Director Heather Dawn Thompson. “Tribal nations have clearly articulated their priorities to USDA over the last two years, and this program directly responds by focusing on species and activities which have historically not had significant access to funding in federal programs.”

“For too long, Native American farmers and ranchers have been asked to produce more to meet increasing demand across the country and around the world, while they and the tribal communities they come from have struggled to see their fair share of the benefits,” said USDA Under Secretary for Rural Development Xochitl Torres Small. “Under the leadership of the Biden-Harris administration, USDA is proud to offer this investment in tribal nations’ food chain resiliency as a part of USDA’s broader efforts to restore indigenous food ways. By expanding and enhancing local processing capacity, these projects will provide culturally appropriate food and community food security to tribal communities.”

Eligible applicants are Indian tribes, as defined by the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994, as well as wholly-owned arms and instrumentalities, and joint or multi-tribal government entities. USDA partners with tribal-serving organizations on projects to reimagine federal food and agriculture programs from an indigenous perspective and inform future USDA programs and policies.

More information is available on USDA’s Indigenous Animals Grants webpage. Applications will be accepted through July 19, 2023.

About the Local Meat Capacity Grant Program

The Local Meat Capacity Grant program will provide up to $75 million in grants to fund innovative projects designed to build resilience in the meat and poultry supply chain by providing producers with more local processing options and strengthening their market potential. This grant program is targeted to support meat and poultry processors with smaller-scale projects, with a goal to increase processing availability and variety for local and regional livestock producers.

“Local and regional meat processing is an important part of a resilient food supply chain. It not only provides producers with diverse processing options in their areas, but it also adds infrastructure, income and jobs in communities and provides more choices for consumers,” said USDA Marketing and Regulatory Programs Under Secretary Jenny Lester Moffitt. “These Local Meat Capacity grants will provide local livestock and poultry producers with more and better options by modernizing, diversifying, and decentralizing processing capacity. As part of the Biden-Harris administration’s comprehensive approach to transforming the food system from farm to fork, this program complements other USDA grant programs building capacity along the supply chain, like the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program, by providing targeted support for meat and poultry processors with smaller-scale projects.”

The Local Meat Capacity Grants will fund both expansion and equipment-only projects through a competitive grant process. USDA encourages applicants to engage with livestock producers, especially small and underserved ranchers.

More information is available on the Agricultural Marketing Service’s Local MCap webpage. Applications will be accepted through July 19, 2023.

Both grant programs are aligned with USDA efforts to:

• Ensure equitable access to USDA programs and benefits from USDA-funded projects and support the policies of Executive Order 13985 on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government.
• Contribute to the resilience of the food and agricultural supply chains through support for diversified, value-added agriculture and support the policies of Executive Order 14017 on America’s Supply Chains.
• Promote competition in the food system and support the policies of Executive Order 14036 on Promoting Competition in the American Economy.

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.

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USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will hold a five-day consultation series, “USDA Tribal Consultations on Barriers/Equity: Annual Progress Report & Feedback for Next Steps,” virtually April 24-May 1, 2023. This is the third annual USDA consultation held in response to President Biden’s Presidential Memo on Tribal Consultations and his Executive Order on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities.

Tribal leaders have requested USDA affirm how staff are incorporating tribal input on barriers to effectively accessing programs. During the meeting, USDA consulting officials will report out on progress made since last year’s consultation and seek tribal input on outstanding barriers.
Since the first consultation on equity and barriers in March 2021, USDA agencies have implemented changes to remove barriers to service for tribal nations and producers. Some of the improvements made in 2022 include:

• Indigenous Animals Eligibility: The Farm Service Agency (FSA) ensured that bovine tuberculosis (M. bovis) in bison was eligible for the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP).
• Indigenous Foods Inclusion: The Food and Nutrition Service published a proposed rule to allow indigenous starchy vegetables - like timpsila (prairie turnips) – to substitute for grains in child nutrition programs.
• Trust Lands Eligibility: The U.S. Forest Service clarified that tribal trust lands are eligible to serve as base property in order to qualify for Forest and National Grasslands grazing permits.
• Tribal Government Consent Requirements: Rural Development is clarifying that the permits and approvals for large infrastructure projects - like broadband - are required before financing includes tribal government approvals when building on tribal lands (often through a tribal resolution of support).
• Tribal Owned Entities Eligibility: Rural Development drafted a proposed rule for the Rural Business Development Grant (RBDG) program to clarify tribal-owned entities (arms and instrumentalities) eligibility and better recognize how tribes structure themselves.

Each day of the consultations will focus on different themes that are key priority areas for the Biden-Harris Administration. Senior USDA consulting officials from each agency will listen to concerns from official representatives from among the 574 federally recognized tribal nations. Before each consultation, tribal organizations will facilitate caucuses to have tribal leaders to meet prior to the consultation without federal staff present to organize among themselves and discuss the issues.

Economic Development
Date: Monday, April 24, 2023
Time: 2:00 - 5:30 p.m. ET
2:00 - 3:00 p.m. ET Tribal Caucus (Indian Country only/No federal)
3:00 - 5:30 p.m. ET Tribal Consultation & Listening Session

Food, Safety, and Trade
Date: Tuesday, April 25, 2023
Time: 2:00 - 5:30 p.m. ET
2:00 - 3:00 p.m. ET - Tribal Caucus (Indian Country only/No federal)
3:00 -5:30 p.m. ET - Tribal Consultation & Listening Session

Farming, Ranching, and Conservation
Date: Thursday, April 27, 2023
Time: 2:00 - 5:30 p.m. ET
2:00 - 3:00 p.m. ET - Tribal Caucus (Indian Country only/No federal)
3:00 - 5:30 p.m. ET - Tribal Consultation & Listening Session

Forests and Public Lands
Date: Friday, April 28, 2023
Time: 2:00 - 5:30 p.m. ET
2:00 - 3:00 p.m. ET - Tribal Caucus (Indian Country only/No federal)
3:00 - 5:30 p.m. ET - Tribal Consultation & Listening Session

Education and Research
Date: Monday, May 1, 2022
Time: 2:00 - 5:30 p.m. ET
2:00 - 3:00 p.m. ET - Tribal Caucus (Indian Country only/No federal)
3:00 - 5:30 p.m. ET - Tribal Consultation & Listening Session

On March 29, 2023, the USDA Office of Tribal Relations distributed “Dear Tribal Leader” letters announcing these consultation sessions to Indian Country. These tribal consultations are formal, government-to-government meetings between USDA officials and tribal nations. Tribal organizations, tribal citizens, and tribal nation staff are welcome to attend. Elected tribal leaders, proxy representatives with authority to speak on behalf of a tribal nation, and USDA consulting officials have speaking roles at these events. USDA agencies and offices host consultations throughout the year to hear from tribal nations about how USDA policies and programs can be developed to better support tribal nation interests. To view framing papers for these consultations or further details, visit www.usda.gov/tribalrelations/tribal-consultations.

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USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

By Emily C. Kelley, Public Affairs Specialist, and Jimmy Nguyen, Program Analyst, USDA FNS

USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service supports indigenous health and tribal sovereignty through Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations Self-Determination Demonstration Projects.

The 2018 Farm Bill authorized USDA and the Department of the Interior to collaborate on a demonstration project to give tribes more control over food procurement in the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations, commonly known as FDPIR. Tribes select one or more foods to procure and provide through the FDPIR food package, replacing an item procured by USDA.

The Alaska Native Health Consortium, known as ANTHC, operates a FDPIR self-determination demonstration project that provides foods to 18 tribes across Alaska. Learn more about the ANTHC project in this video.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6, 2023 – USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service today recognized significant progress made across the nation’s nutrition assistance programs and broader nutrition security efforts during the Biden-Harris administration’s second year in office. As President Biden prepares for the 2023 State of the Union address, he will reflect on last year’s progress and forge ahead in the fight against hunger and increase access to nutritious foods for all Americans by supporting vital FNS programs that assist families in navigating the ongoing impacts of the pandemic, such as high food costs and supply shortages.

“The Food and Nutrition Service, alongside our devoted partners at the state, local, tribal, and territorial level, worked hard last year to lift up families through strengthened food programs,” said Stacy Dean, deputy under secretary for USDA’s Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services. “In 2022, FNS provided additional resources to WIC and school meal programs, as well as food banks, in an effort to meet the needs of the millions of Americans who use our programs. Additionally, we expanded online shopping for SNAP participants, equipped schools with upgraded tools, and boosted local agriculture.”

Highlights include:

Prioritizing nutrition security for all
In March 2022, Secretary Tom Vilsack announced USDA Actions on Nutrition Security, which summarized how USDA and, in particular, FNS is working to advance nutrition security. These efforts align with the goals in the Biden-Harris administration’s National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health released for the September 2022 historic White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. FNS also issued a report highlighting the agency’s role in contributing to those goals by emphasizing the connection between food insecurity and diet-related diseases and prioritizing equitable access to healthy, affordable food.

In October, the agency hosted Come to the Table: USDA’s National Nutrition Security and Healthcare Summit, bringing together healthcare, federal and community leaders with a shared goal of ensuring all Americans have access to nutritious foods that support good health. In January, FNS participated in the first of seven regional summits to further those efforts.

Improving access through program modernization
FNS is committed to modernizing its nutrition assistance programs to best meet the needs of today’s participants and provide them with an improved customer experience. In 2022, FNS continued to expand SNAP online shopping, giving millions of families the opportunity to shop from home like many non-SNAP customers have been doing for years. As of December 2022, 181 retailers – representing thousands of actual stores – were participating. However, recognizing some retailers, especially smaller ones, still face technical challenges implementing online shopping, FNS awarded a $5 million grant to help these businesses get up and running.

Similarly, FNS made major investments in modernizing the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, known as WIC, including awarding more than $50 million in grants designed to better reach more eligible families, reduce disparities in program delivery, and provide a convenient and equitable experience for all.

Ensuring babies and kids have access to the nutrition they need
FNS is committed to promoting nutrition security for children, starting them on the path to a healthy, thriving future. For summer 2022, FNS worked closely with 52 states and territories to continue providing Pandemic-EBT benefits to kids in low-income households to help cover the costs of meals they would otherwise receive at school or in child care.

FNS also announced the Healthy Meals Incentives initiative, a $100 million investment to recognize schools providing exceptionally nutritious meals, support small and rural schools in meeting nutrition standards, and partner with industry to develop healthy and tasty products for school meals. The agency also provided $80 million dollars for schools to invest in upgraded food service equipment that facilitates serving nutritious meals, as well as more than $70 million in Farm to School Grants for projects that connect kids with local agriculture. By helping schools address barriers such as staffing shortages, increased food costs, outdated kitchen equipment, and lack of physical space, this initiative will ensure that children continue to be served nutritious, fresh meals while they learn.

When the infant formula recall and related shortages strained families nationwide, FNS took immediate action. FNS worked with formula manufacturers and states to provide flexibilities that helped WIC participants get the formula they needed – and helped cover cost differences for states to make this possible. FNS also supported Operation Fly Formula to boost the infant formula supply.

Combating food inflation and strengthening food systems
FNS took many actions to help program partners and participants cope with inflation and the rising cost of food, while strengthening the nation’s food systems. FNS provided extensive financial support for the emergency food system, including nearly $1 billion for additional food purchases to help families in need. The agency also introduced a new $100 million Reach and Resiliency grant program to strengthen and expand The Emergency Food Assistance Program to ensure it reaches remote, rural, tribal and other low-income areas that face persistent poverty and inequality.

By providing a more than 25 percent increase to child nutrition program funding, FNS took action to ensure child nutrition programs could continue serving nutritious meals amid high food costs. This increase included nearly $2.5 billion to schools to purchase American-grown food and an increase to the per-meal reimbursement rate that is expected to pump an estimated $4.3 billion more into child nutrition programs nationwide.

FNS also supported two new USDA programs designed to provide additional food to food banks and schools in a way that strengthens regional food systems by purchasing locally grown food products from underserved producers and distributing it to communities in need of nutritional support.

FNS advanced several other priorities throughout 2022, including supporting workforce development in SNAP and WIC to improve employment opportunities and culturally relevant care for all families; strengthening program integrity through a system designed to prevent duplicate enrollment in SNAP; supporting tribal sovereignty through the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations Self-Determination Demonstration Projects; and more. FNS looks forward to continuing this momentum in collaboration with our partners, throughout the third year of the administration.

USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service works to end hunger and improve food and nutrition security through a suite of more than 15 nutrition assistance programs, such as the school breakfast and lunch programs, WIC and SNAP. Together, these programs serve 1 in 4 Americans over the course of a year, promoting consistent and equitable access to healthy, safe, and affordable food essential to optimal health and well-being. FNS also provides science-based nutrition recommendations through the co-development of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. To learn more about FNS, visit www.fns.usda.gov and follow @USDANutrition.

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USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

By Keri Bradford-Gomez (Choctaw), Senior Technical Advisor, Food and Nutrition Service

When you recognize the food on your plate, you recall memories of sharing meals with loved ones.

At the 33rd National Association of Food Distribution Programs on Indian Reservations, or NAFDPIR, conference last month in Prior Lake, MN, I had the opportunity to share food-memories with attendees from dozens of tribes, including my own, the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.

Since 1977, tribes and intertribal organizations have been eligible to receive food packages (formerly called commodities) from the USDA. Historically, products in the food packages were not traditional to tribes participating in the program.

However, in recent years and in consultation with tribes, more traditional products have been incorporated into food packages. For example, participating Chickasaw Nation tribal members now have access to hominy ("tanchi" in my language) through the food package, and all participating tribal members have access to wild rice ("psiŋ" in the Dakota language, spoken by members of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, in whose homelands the NAFDPIR conference was held). These easy-to-recognize foods are used in traditional tribal dishes, such as “tanchi labona,” a Choctaw stew made with hominy and pork.

In addition to making traditional foods more accessible, the USDA works with tribes to maintain a sharing gallery of recipes, factsheets, photos and more. In fact, in the gallery's video section, you can watch a cooking demonstration with Menominee Chef Francisco Alegria, who also gave a demonstration at last month's NAFDPIR conference. Using wild rice and salmon--products available in today's food packages--Chef Alegria created a wild rice-crusted blackened salmon filet.

A major highlight of the conference was when USDA Deputy Under Secretary Stacy Dean announced Round 2 of the FDPIR Self-Determination Demonstration Project, open through Jan. 31, 2023, to all tribes. Learn how the eight tribes awarded in Round 1 used their funds to purchase local, traditional, and tribally produced foods by visiting the Self-Determination Demonstration Project website.

The demonstration project is just one way the Biden-Harris Administration supports tribal food sovereignty, a commitment outlined in the National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, discussed during the historic White House Conference in September. Building off that commitment, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced exciting new resources and cooperative agreements with tribal-serving organizations that will expand the USDA’s Indigenous Food Sovereignty Initiative. Learn more at the USDA Office of Tribal Relations website.