USDA Explains Rule Changes to Help Child Nutrition Programs Purchase Local Products

USDA Food and Nutrition Service published a memo on the recent expansion of the geographic preference option in the final rule “Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent With the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans” that was published on April 25, 2024. Changes to the rule help ease challenges for Child Nutrition Programs (CNPs) related to buying local products and promote CNPs as a market for local producers. Specifically, CNP operators may now use local (e.g., “locally grown,” “locally raised,” or “locally caught”) as a specification for local unprocessed agricultural products purchased for program meals, snacks, and milk. CNP operators can require that an unprocessed agricultural product be locally grown, raised, or caught to meet the solicitation requirements and remove products or bids that do not meet this standard from consideration. This change takes effect July 1, 2024.
Related ATTRA topic area: Farm to School