USDA Local & Regional Procurement

Description

The Local and Regional Procurement (LRP) program enables the U.S. Department of Agriculture to procure local and regional commodities for field-based projects in developing countries. It complements existing food aid programs and fills in the nutritional and food aid gaps created by unexpected emergencies. LRP runs in conjunction with the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education programs.

What Does This Buy?

Funds are provided to partners through grants, cooperative agreements, and other mechanisms to implement need-based programming that leverages resources, skills, and partnerships with local farmers to supplement and enhance school meals with nutrition-rich products such as beans, groundnuts, and sweet potatoes.

Justification for the Request

• LRP quickly delivers emergency and nonemergency food and nutrition assistance. A GAO report found that shipping food from the United States to sub-Saharan Africa took 100 days longer than procuring food from local or regional sources.
• LRP is efficient. A USDA LRP pilot program found that buying grains in or near the country to which the U.S. donates food aid saved 53% relative to purchasing U.S.-sourced grains and 25% in the case of other foods, such as beans.
• Procurement of food from local markets stimulates local economies by increasing farmers’ incomes and creating additional jobs in the community.

U.S. Interest

LRP reduces the need for U.S. foreign assistance. For example, a local program in Ethiopia that purchases food from small-holder farmers to use in school feeding programs generates over $16 million for farmers and contributes to children’s education.

Bold Vision

The 2014 Farm Bill authorized the USDA’s LRP program at $80 million annually. The current appropriations for the program consistently fall below the authorized amount.

• Additional investment would allow LRP programs to further complement existing food aid programs – especially the McGovern-Dole Food for Education program – and fill in nutritional gaps for targeted populations, or food availability gaps created by unexpected emergencies.
• Additional investment in LRP programs could also generate important development effects by spurring local economic activity and helping form and strengthen sustainable local markets over the long term.

Impact of Cuts

Cuts in funding for LRP cause inefficiencies and backlog, depriving implementing organizations of the flexibility to choose the most effective assistance, particularly during humanitarian crises.