USDA is working tirelessly to tackle food and nutrition insecurity. Dr. Caree Cotwright, Director of Nutrition Security and Health Equity, reflects on progress and work ahead to advance food and nutrition security.
FNS hosted a webinar to provide state agencies and food banks with information about how TEFAP can support cultural and religious practices around food, particularly those serving kosher and halal observant communities. The webinar featured panelists from state agencies and food banks who have successfully implemented processes to serve these specific communities.
FNS hosted a second webinar to provide program stakeholders with additional information on supporting kosher observant communities through TEFAP.
This webinar discusses the current programs available to provide food and administrative funds for state agencies to support food banks and emergency feeding programs. The presentation provides an overview of resources available to The Emergency Food Assistance Program, including Congressionally appropriated program funds, Section 32 bonus foods, and the recent commitment from USDA to provide additional food and administrative support using the Commodity Credit Corporation. We also highlight the Reach and Resiliency grant opportunity and Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program.
The webinar, CN Labeling Program: Update for Industry, will provide an overview of the CN Labeling Program with crediting updates resulting from the Final Rule: Child Nutrition Program Flexibilities for Milk, Whole Grains, and Sodium Requirements and the Request for Information, in addition to crediting technical assistance specifically for the CN Labeling program.
In this webinar, the fifth in the series, we discuss how schools can purchase local products by using product specifications, vendor requirements and evaluation criteria. For example, schools can require that vendors offer farm visits or origin labeling, or a school might request a variety of product only grown in the nearby region.