According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Biden Administration’s $2.1 billion plan is designed to “benefit consumers, producers and rural communities by providing more options, increasing access, and creating new, more, and better markets for small and mid-size producers.” To carry this out, funding is divided into four categories of initiatives: Food Production, Food Processing, Food Distribution and Aggregation, and Markets and Consumers.
The largest portion of the funds, up to $600 billion, will go towards supply chain infrastructure including cold-storage units, refrigerated trucks, and processing facilities. Four hundred million will be used to create regional food business centers that will increase the function and reach of small to mid-sized farms, food producers, and distributors. Up to $375 million is designated for the expansion of independent meat and poultry processing plants, and up to $300 million is set aside for the Organic Transition Initiative, which will support the transition to organic farming.
With a total of $2.1 billion to work with, the Biden Administration aims to finetune every kink in the supply chain, transforming the food system to withstand inflation and ultimately lower prices for both producers and consumers.
