From USDA
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the availability of approximately $8 million to support the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP) Produce Prescription Program. The funding is part of USDA’s American Rescue Plan efforts and will be administered by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).
GusNIP Produce Prescription projects provide financial and non-financial incentives to income-eligible individuals and families to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables to improve dietary health through increased consumption of fruits and vegetables. GusNIP also supports several Nutrition Incentive Projects in California, including CDFA’s California Nutrition Incentive Program.
By bringing together stakeholders from various parts of the food and health care systems, GusNIP projects foster understanding to improve the health and nutritional status of participating households and use data to identify and improve best practices on a broad scale.
“USDA continues to make strides in transforming our Nation’s food system,” said Dr. Chavonda Jacobs-Young, Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics and USDA Chief Scientist. “Through this investment, USDA is making more nutritious food available to more people at more affordable prices. The GusNIP Produce Prescription program demonstrates the invaluable impact that access to fresh fruits and vegetables has on communities in need.”
The awards announced today fund GusNIP Produce Prescription meritorious applications from fiscal year 2021 that were highly ranked but could not be funded at the time due to budget constraints. Seventeen projects are being funded, including the following in California:
- The Ceres Community Projects (Sebastopol, California) farmers’ market produce prescriptions, nutrition education and support for low-income pregnant women at risk for diet-related conditions in Sonoma County.
- The Communicare Health Centers (Davis, California) produce Rx: health centers leveraging local produce for wellness.
NIFA invests in and advances agricultural research, education and Extension across the nation to make transformative discoveries that solve societal challenges. In FY 2021, NIFA’s total investment was $1.96 billion. Visit NIFA’s website for more information.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit usda.gov.