USDA Approves $1.2 Billion in Contracts for Farmers to Supply Food to Needy

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue testifies during a House Agriculture Committee hearing in the Longworth House Office Building in Washington on March 4, 2020. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on May 8 announced $1.2 billion in contracts to help American producers and communities hit by the pandemic.

The new initiative pairs suppliers of agricultural goods with food banks, community and faith-based organizations, and other nonprofits serving Americans in need, under the USDA’s Families Food Box program.