USDA's food distribution programs strengthen the nutrition safety net through commodity distribution and other nutrition assistance to low-income families, emergency feeding programs, Indian reservations, and the elderly.
The Commodity Supplemental Food Program works to improve the health of low-income pregnant women, new mothers, infants, children, and the elderly by supplementing their diets with nutritious USDA commodity foods.
The Food Distribution Disaster Assistance Program supplies food to disaster relief organizations such as the Red Cross and the Salvation Army for mass feeding or household distribution.
The Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations provides commodity foods to low-income Native American families and elderly people residing on or near Indian reservations.
The Schools/Child Nutrition Commodity Program helps American agricultural producers by providing cash reimbursements for meals served in schools. The Program also provides nutritious, USDA-purchased food for the National School Lunch Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program, and the Summer Food Service Program.
The State Processing Program allows state distributing agencies and eligible recipient agencies such as school districts to contract with commercial food processors to convert bulk or raw USDA commodities into more convenient ready-to-use end products.
The Emergency Food Assistance Program supplements the diets of low-income needy persons, including elderly people, by providing emergency food and nutrition assistance.
USDA's Food and Nutrition Service partners with the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP) Produce Business Unit to buy and distribute fresh fruits and vegetables to schools using the USDA's federal commodity entitlement dollars.
Under this pilot program, processors are permitted to sell approved end products to eligible recipient agencies nationwide under a single national processing agreement.
The Food Aid Program provides U.S. agricultural commodities to feed millions of hungry people in needy countries through direct donations and concessional programs.
USDA purchases a variety of food products in support of the National School Lunch program and other Federal Feeding programs. These purchases help to stabilize prices in agricultural commodity markets by balancing supply and demand.
The Commodity Foods Network provides bid invitations, food catalogs, and recent purchase reports for commodities distribution to eligible recipients participating in the food distribution programs.
The McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program helps promote education, child development, and food security for some of the world's poorest children. It provides for donations of U.S. agricultural products, as well as financial and technical assistance, for school feeding and maternal and child nutrition projects in low-income countries.
