USDA is looking to feed hungry people and reduce food waste, with a new Dairy Donation Program.
USDA announces $400 million dollars to launch a new dairy donation program to help dairy farms partner with non-profits to distribute dairy products to families in need.
Deputy Secretary Jewel Bronough says that they have several goals for the program.
According to Bronough, “The benefits of the Dairy Donation Program are three-fold: it reduces food waste, makes sure farmers are paid for the products they produce, and provides nutritious dairy products to American families. The goal is to provide timely dairy donations when traditional programs don’t move quickly enough.”
Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow says that the program is part of the $6 billion dollar pandemic and aid announced in March, as a solution to pandemic supply chain disruptions and market volatility.
“We all heard stories in the pandemic of dairy farmers dumping milk after markets were upended and at the same time we saw lines at food banks that continue today for too many families trying to make ends meet,” Stabenow states.
Under the program, dairy organizations will be reimbursed for some of the costs associated with donations, like transportation and manufacturing.
“Importantly, the new Dairy Donation Program will cover the cost of raw milk used to make dairy products which will be incredibly helpful to dairy producers out there that have been experiencing difficult times and the economics they have been experiencing over the last several years if not more,” Joe Diglio, the president of Michigan Milk Producers, states.
He says that it is a win-win for everyone involved: “I think everybody in the dairy industry wants to service the betterment of the American people and know that dairy is a huge nutritional product that can do that and we are excited about what this opportunity brings.”
Farmers already enrolled in the Milk Donation Reimbursement Program will also be automatically enrolled in the new Dairy Donation Program.
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