This final rule revises regulations for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR), The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), and USDA Foods disaster response regulations. This final rule makes improvements in USDA’s food distribution programs.
FNS coordinates with state, local, and disaster relief organizations including Indian Tribal Organizations to provide nutrition assistance to those affected by major disasters, emergencies, and situations of distress. This disaster assistance includes USDA Foods Disaster Assistance.
Questions and answers about Food Distribution Programs: Improving Access and Parity Final Rule published on Oct. 31, 2024.
Summary of the provisions in the final rule and how they compare to previous program regulations.
Beginning in summer 2023, sponsors in certain eligible rural areas could provide meals and snacks for kids to be picked up or delivered at no cost with SUN Meals To-Go. This flexible, cost-effective approach helped reach more children. In a recent survey, many sponsors (86%) said they plan to continue offering SUN Meals To-Go in future summers.
The USDA FNS Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program awards grants annually to support schools, non-profits, Indian Tribal Organizations, state agencies, producers, and other entities who are planning, developing, and implementing farm to school programs. This report presents findings of the FNS evaluation of the fiscal year 2018 and 2019 Farm to School grantees, highlighting their activities, achievements, and challenges.
This report is the latest in a series on national SNAP participation rates, which estimate the proportion of people eligible for benefits under federal income and asset rules to those who actually participate in the program. This report presents rates for fiscal year 2022 and re-estimated rates for pre-pandemic FY 2020 using new weights released by the Census Bureau for the 2020 Census.
The 2023 Farm to School Census collected information on farm to school participation by school food authorities (SFAs) in school year 2022–23. Every SFA participating in the National School Lunch Program in the 50 states, Washington, DC, and five territories received an online survey asking about the farm to school activities they participated in, details of their participation, and their perspectives on farm to school.
The Statewide Thrifty Food Plan Cost Estimate for Hawaii report describes the process used to calculate a new Thrifty Food Plan cost estimate for Hawaii that is based on the best currently available food price data from throughout the state of Hawaii in alignment with the proposed rule. This report uses the same peer-reviewed methodology as the Thrifty Food Plan Cost Estimates for Alaska and Hawaii report, published by FNS in 2023.
This annual Report to Congress offers a description of nutrition education within the USDA and a summary of coordinated nutrition education activities completed for fiscal year 2023. Activities include nutrition education defined by statute, policies that encourage nutrition education or promotion, and USDA priorities to promote healthy food choices. As required, the report is prepared by FNS in cooperation with the National Institute of Food and Agriculture.