Congress funds direct farm-to-food-bank purchases to boost rural economies
H.R. 6697 — EAT Healthy Foods from Local Farmers Act · Filed by Kim Schrier (D-WA) · 2 cosponsors · Introduced Dec 12, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill amends the Emergency Food Assistance Act to allow states to use federal funds to purchase fresh agricultural products directly from small, underserved, and family farms—rather than relying only on donated surplus commodities—and distribute them through food banks and emergency feeding organizations. It authorizes $200 million annually through 2030 for this purchasing program and requires the USDA to coordinate across agencies to expand procurement from a wider range of agricultural producers.
Why we flagged it
The bill's core mechanism is a federal purchasing program that redirects emergency food assistance spending from surplus commodity distribution to direct procurement from small and underserved farms, with the dual purpose of improving nutrition security and supporting rural agricultural producers.
What the text implies
- The bill's success depends on state administrative capacity and willingness to implement; states with weaker food-assistance infrastructure may struggle to execute the program effectively.
- By shifting from donated surplus to purchased fresh products, the bill may reduce demand for commodity-surplus programs, potentially affecting large commodity producers who have historically relied on government purchase of overstock.
The full analysis lists 4 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
small and underserved farms (women-owned, veteran-owned, beginning farmers); family farms and mid-sized agricultural operations; agricultural cooperatives and food hubs