Booker, DeLauro Introduce Local Procurement Act to Increase Federal Purchasing of Locally Grown Food

Press Release

Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) introduced the Local Procurement Act, legislation aimed at maximizing local and domestically grown food purchases by the United States Department of Agriculture. The bill would amend the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 to ensure that USDA uses its immense purchasing power to support local and regional food systems and to create market opportunities for small and mid-sized farms.

In response to a request from Senator Booker, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) conducted a study on federal food procurement which revealed that the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) accounted for 57% of all federal food purchases, totaling $12.5 billion in fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry, and fish from fiscal years 2018 to 2022. The study also found that while federal law mandates domestic food purchases, there is no requirement for local sourcing, and AMS lacks comprehensive data on local sourcing practices.

“The GAO report published earlier this year revealed that federal agencies purchase billions of dollars in fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry, and fish with almost no consideration of the opportunity these purchases hold to strengthen our local food systems,” said Senator Booker. “The Local Procurement Act will ensure that our federal food purchases bolster local economies and support small and mid-sized farms in the United States. We have a responsibility to use USDA's food purchases to keep our local food systems resilient and to continue investing in small farmers and ranchers.”

The Local Procurement Act would give direction to USDA when purchasing food products for:

For meat and poultry, USDA must, to the maximum extent practicable, purchase products that bear a “Product of USA” or “Made in the USA” label.

For fruits and vegetables, USDA must, to the maximum extent practicable, purchase products either from within the state where the product will be delivered or from an adjacent state.

For future purchases of meat, poultry, fruit, or vegetable agricultural products, the Secretary of Agriculture must establish and utilize selection criteria for contracts that does not limit evaluation factors to just the lowest price or highest technical rating

For any meat, poultry, fruit, or vegetable agricultural product, the Secretary of Agriculture must give priority to contracts which procure from small and mid-sized farms.

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