Creating More Markets at Home
Build Resilient Food Systems, Infrastructure, and Supply Chain
USDA works tirelessly to ensure that the food system is fair, resilient, competitive, and distributed. By transforming the food system’s infrastructure and strengthening critical supply chains, USDA will ensure resilience against threats and disturbances and provide local and regional food systems with economic opportunities and security.
Expanding the Middle of the Supply Chain
Concentration in the middle of the food supply chain has left both farmers and ranchers with limited options to process, aggregate, and distribute their products, and has left consumers with limited options to purchase food to support their local economy. USDA is investing in expanding the middle of the supply chain to provide more options for both producers and consumers, and to make the food system more resilient and less reliant on limited options.
Strengthening Local and Regional Food Systems
In response to the increased demand for local and regional foods caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, USDA will prioritize investments that strengthen these markets and ensure food supply chain resilience for the future. Investing in local and regional food systems will further enhance the share of profits for those who grow, harvest, process, and prepare our food.
Foster Agricultural Innovation and Sustainable Products that Enhance and Create Markets
The future of U.S. agriculture, which includes plant and animal agriculture, forestry, and aquaculture, depends on continued science, innovation, and process improvements supporting technological progress, production efficiencies, and environmental stewardship. Advancing areas with a focus on climate-smart agriculture will enable the creation of innovations to minimize the environmental footprint of agriculture and ensure sustainability while improving crop yields. New technologies and system designs are needed to produce higher value end products from agricultural products, emerging crops, livestock, and forest feedstocks. This will enable new markets, establish new domestic supply chains, and create more jobs and economic opportunities. Increasing productivity has significant social and economic benefits for society.
Biobased Fuels and Products
Biobased fuels and products create new opportunities for creating sustainable options for existing markets and for new markets with products with enhanced attributes of performance and sustainability. USDA is supporting this commitment through the increased development, purchase, and use of biobased products through the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Grand Challenge, BioPreferred Program, and Wood Innovations Program.
Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities
USDA is committed to supporting a diverse set of farmers, ranchers, and forest owners through climate solutions that increase resilience, expand market opportunities, and strengthen rural America. The new Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities opportunity provides up to $1 billion for pilot projects that create market opportunities for commodities produced using climate-smart practices.
USDA is now accepting project applications for fiscal year 2022.
