While the scale of this program is tiny, it’s interesting to see the direction that “local food” funding is taking, south of the border. The USDA / National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s COMMUNITY FOOD PROJECTS COMPETITIVE GRANTS PROGRAM was recently announced, focusing on support for:

(1) the development of Community Food Projects with a one-time infusion of federal dollars to make such projects self-sustaining; and (2) Planning Projects to assess the food security needs and plan long-term solutions to help ensure food security in communities. [emphasis added]

They further describe the primary goals of the Community Food Projects Competitive Grants Program (CFPCGP) as:

•      Meet the food needs of low-income individuals;

•      Increase the self-reliance of communities in providing for the food needs of the  communities;

•      Promote comprehensive responses to local food, farm, and nutrition issues; and

•      Meet specific state, local or neighborhood food and agricultural needs including needs relating to:

o   Infrastructure improvement and development;

o   Planning for long-term solutions; or

o   The creation of innovative marketing activities that mutually benefit agricultural producers and low-income consumers.