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At the 2023 White House Tribal Youth Summit, USDA offers new resources to inspire Native American youth to explore Indigenous foodways and knowledge and highlight career paths at USDA and beyond. These efforts are part of USDA’s commitment to empowering tribal self-determination and bringing Indigenous perspectives into agriculture, food, and nutrition.

USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service awarded a cooperative agreement of nearly $10 million to the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in support of ongoing efforts to modernize and enhance WIC, with the goal of helping all eligible mothers and children access the program to afford healthy food. 

USDA signed contracts with eight tribes for new Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations Self-Determination Demonstration Projects. Empowering tribal nations to select and purchase foods themselves helps better align FDPIR food packages with tribal dietary preferences, supports indigenous agricultural producers and honors tribal sovereignty.

The USDA today announced it has awarded a cooperative agreement to Regents of the University of Minnesota to support the development of the public health workforce in WIC. This cooperative agreement is part of a joint initiative between USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture and FNS intended to improve the health of WIC participants by increasing the diversity and cultural competency of the WIC workforce and promoting culturally responsive care.

The USDA, through a cooperative agreement with FNS and the Food Research & Action Center, has awarded $16 million in subgrants funding from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to 36 projects aimed at testing innovative outreach strategies to increase participation and equity in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, known as WIC.

Today, USDA announced the availability of up to $125 million through two new grant programs that will create more options for meat and poultry farmers by investing in independent, local meat and poultry processing projects that increase competition and enhance the resiliency of the food supply chain.

The Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service is announcing a series of grant opportunities funded by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 aimed at innovating and modernizing the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, known as WIC.

FNS is announcing proposed changes to allow online ordering in the WIC program. This effort will create simpler, more equitable grocery shopping options for families served by WIC. 

USDA announced an investment of $750,000 to support the development of the public health workforce within WIC. This project is part of a joint agency initiative between USDA’s National Institute for Food and Agriculture and the Food and Nutrition Service.

USDA FNS today recognized significant progress made across the nation’s nutrition assistance programs and broader nutrition security efforts during the Biden-Harris second year in office. As President Biden prepares for the 2023 State of the Union address, he will reflect on last year’s progress and forge ahead in the fight against hunger and increase access to nutritious foods for all Americans by supporting vital FNS programs that assist families in navigating the ongoing impacts of the pandemic, such as high food costs and supply shortages.

USDA acknowledges major progress and promise in several modernization and innovation efforts for WIC to reach more eligible mothers and young children and improve the service they receive throughout their entire experience with the program, setting them up for healthy outcomes and helping to reduce longstanding disparities in maternal and child health.

USDA FNS today announced the award of the first round of Farmers' Market Nutrition Program Benefit Delivery Modernization Grants to the state of Delaware. The grant will help the state improve equitable access to locally grown fruits and vegetables for participants of WIC.