The Emergency Food Assistance Program

TEFAP distributes about half a billion dollars in USDA Foods each year through food banks across the country.

TEFAP distributes about half a billion dollars in USDA Foods each year through food banks across the country.

Strengthening the Nation’s Nutrition Safety Net and Supporting American Agriculture

The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) is a federal program that helps supplement the diets of low-income Americans by providing them with emergency food assistance at no cost. USDA provides 100% American-grown USDA Foods and administrative funds to states to operate TEFAP.

Program Fact Sheet
TEFAP feature image

I am a...

Applicant/Recipient State/Local Agency Vendor

What's New?

prev
next
Fiscal Year 2021 Food and Administrative Funding for The Emergency Food Assistance Program
Policy Memos
USDA Foods E-Letters
Newsletters
Food Distribution Program Tables
Data
TEFAP: Availability of Foods for Fiscal Year 2021
Notices
Comment Request - Generic Clearance for the Special Nutrition Programs Quick Response Surveys (SNP QRS)
Comment Request
USDA Foods Expected to be Available
Product Information
Information Collection: Recordkeeping of D-SNAP Benefit Issuance and Commodity Distribution for Disaster Relief
Notices
Total TEFAP Assistance to States
Technical Assistance & Guidance
Continuing Appropriations Act 2021 and Other Extensions Act
Legislation
Clarification of Reporting Requirements for TEFAP FY2020 Farm to Food Bank Projects
Policy Memos
TEFAP State Plan Requests and Allocations for Fiscal Year 2021 Farm to Food Bank Projects
Policy Memos
Using USDA Foods in Disasters, Emergencies, and Situations of Distress
Webinars/Videos
USDA Ensures Food, Funding during Pandemic
Blog
FY 2020 Farm to Food Bank Project Summaries
Fact Sheets
State of Origin for USDA Foods
Research, Analysis & Background
Bean Basics Toolkit
Technical Assistance & Guidance

Spotlights

tefap foods

Best Practices to Minimize Food Waste

This memorandum implements requirements under Section 4018 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 and provides guidance to TEFAP state agencies on best practices to minimize food waste of privately donated foods provided to TEFAP state agencies and eligible recipient agencies. 

FY 2020 Farm to Food Bank Project Summaries
Information on the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Act
Household Programs USDA Foods Product Information Sheets and Recipes
Total TEFAP Assistance to States
Percentage of TEFAP Administrative Funds Passed Through from State Agencies to Emergency Feeding Organizations