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1 [1] (June 18, 2019)

handle is hein.crs/govbaef0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congressional Research Service Informing the legislative debate since 1914 0 June 18, 2019 2018 Farm Bill Primer: Support for Local Food Systems Over the past decade, food policy in the United States has addressed ongoing shifts in consumer preferences and producer trends that favor local and regional foods. The 2018 farm bill (Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, P.L. 115-334) combines and expands existing programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that provide financial and technical assistance for local and regional food production. The 2018 farm bill also provides additional support targeting urban agriculture, thus further expanding support for local food systems, if that food is sold and consumed nearby to where it is produced. Local Food Producers There is no established definition or broad consensus of what constitutes a local food or a local food system. In general, a local food system tends to be based on the location of where food production and its point of sale. This could include the number of miles the food may be transported from producer to consumer, or it may require that food be sold within the state where it is produced to be considered local by consumers. In addition, most USDA farm programs that support local food systems generally base eligibility upon the statutory definition of locally or regionally produced agricultural food products: any agricultural food product that is raised, produced, and distributed in ... the locality or region in which the final product is marketed, so that the total distance that the product is transported is less than 400 miles from the origin of the product; or ... the State in which the product is produced. (7 U.S.C. § 1932) In practice, local foods generally refer to agricultural production and marketing that occurs within a certain geographic proximity (between farmer and consumer) or that involves certain social or supply chain characteristics in producing food (such as small family farms, urban gardens, or farms using sustainable agricultural practices). A wide range of farm businesses may be considered to be engaged in producing local foods. These include direct-to-consumer marketing, farmers' markets, farm-to-school programs, community-supported agriculture (CSA), community gardens, school gardens, and food hubs. Other types of operations include on-farm sales/stores, internet marketing, food cooperatives and buying clubs, roadside stands, pick- your-own operations, urban farms, community kitchens, small-scale food processing and decentralized root cellars, and some agritourism or on-farm recreational activities. Sales of locally produced foods comprise a small but growing part of U.S. agricultural sales. According to the 2017 Census ofAgriculture, USDA reports that the farm- level value of U.S. local food sales totaled about $11.8 billion, reflecting sales from nearly 159,000 farmers (about 8% of U.S. farms). Local foods accounted for an estimated 3% of the value of total U.S. agricultural production in 2017. Table 1 includes food sold from farms both directly to consumers as well as directly to retail markets, institutions, and food hubs for local or regionally branded products. USDA further reports that small farms rely more on direct-to-consumer marketing channels, such as farmers' markets, roadside stands, on-farm stores, and CSAs. Farms making less than $75,000 in annual gross income accounted for 85% of all local food farms in 2017. Table I. Direct-to-Consumer Farm Sales, 2012 & 2017 Sales #Farms ($mill.) %Farms %Sales Food Sold Directly to Consumers 2012 144,530 1,310 6.9% 0.3% 2017 130,056 2,805 6.4% 0.7% Food Sold Directly to Retail Markets, Institutions, and Hubs for Local/Regionally Branded Products 2012 N/A N/A N/A N/A 2017 28,958 9,036 1.4% 2.3% Total Direct-to-Consumer Farm Sales 2017 159,014 11,841 7.8% 3.0% Source: CRS from USDA 2017 Census ofAgriculture data. %Farms and %Sales represent the percentage of all farms and all farm sales. Provisions in the 2018 Farm Bill The 2018 farm bill builds on previous support for local food systems in the previous two farm bills-the Agricultural Act of 2014 (P.L. 113-79) and the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-246). Programs administered by USDA may be grouped into broad categories: marketing and promotion, business assistance and agricultural research, rural and community development, and nutrition and education. Examples include USDA's farmers' market programs, rural cooperative grants, USDA's research and cooperative extension service, and child nutrition programs. Many of these programs are available to all U.S. farmers. For more information, see CRS Report R43950, Local Food Systems: Selected Farm Bill and Other Federal Programs. One of the farm bill programs supporting local food systems is the Local Agriculture Market Program (LAMP) (§10102). LAMP combines and expands two competitive grant programs: (1) the Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program (FMLFPP, 7 U.S.C. §3005) and (2) the Value-Added Agricultural Product Market Development Grant program (VAPG, 7 U.S.C. §1632a(b)(7)). LAMP is intended to support regional partnerships, development grants, and cooperative extension. The 2018 farm bill simplifies USDA's application process and requires additional program reporting and evaluation. It authorizes LAMP to receive mandatory funding of $50 million annually, to remain available until expended. Mandatory funding is provided via the Commodity Credit Corporation and is not subject to appropriations. Funding allocations are 10% for regional partnerships, 35% for producer grants, 47% for development grants for other eligible entities, and https:/crsreports.congress go

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