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Para abordar aún más la inseguridad alimentaria en Puerto Rico y proporcionar recursos más equitativos a lugares remotos, el Servicio de Alimentos y Nutrición (FNS) del USDA proporcionará un mayor beneficio a las familias de Puerto Rico, en comparación con el territorio continental de los EE.UU., a través del nuevo y permanente programa de nutrición de verano para niños - conocido como Transferencia Electrónica de Beneficios de Verano (EBT de verano).

To further address food insecurity in the U.S. Virgin Islands and provide more equitable resources for island communities, USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service will provide a higher benefit to territory families, as compared to the U.S. mainland, through the new, permanent summer nutrition program for children – known as Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer. 

To further address food insecurity in Puerto Rico and provide more equitable resources to remote locations, USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service will provide a higher benefit to Puerto Rico families, as compared to the U.S. mainland, through the new, permanent summer nutrition program for children – known as Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer. 

To further address food insecurity in Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and provide more equitable resources for island communities, USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service will provide a higher benefit to Guam and CNMI families, as compared to the U.S. mainland, through the new, permanent summer nutrition program for children – known as Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer.

USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (has approved the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development’s request to create a demonstration project, Alaska Meals to You, to reduce food insecurity in rural Alaska. 

USDA announced that 35 states, all five U.S. territories, and four tribes plan to be the first to launch the new, permanent summer grocery benefits program for children – known as Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer – in summer 2024.

FNS has started receiving official notices from states and tribal nations that intend to operate the new, permanent summer nutrition assistance program for children, known as Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer — one of many strategies the department is leveraging to tackle child hunger when schools are closed. 

USDA is marking the end of 2023 by highlighting on-the-ground projects and partnerships that are building economic prosperity for farmers, families, and communities nationwide. 

USDA and the Food Research & Action Center have teamed up to competitively award five organizations a total of $1.1 million to research barriers to equitable access in the federal child nutrition programs and identify strategies to eliminate them.

FNS announced today that it will interpret the prohibition on discrimination based on sex found in Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and in the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, as amended, SNAP to include discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. 

FNS today reflected on its efforts over the past year to ensure households across the country have access to a nutritious diet. Throughout the first year of the Biden-Harris Administration, FNS bolstered its nutrition assistance programs through a wide range of administrative actions and with the unprecedented $12 billion investment in food assistance provided by the American Rescue Plan Act.

Today, the USDA is increasing food assistance to low-income seniors – a population that has been especially hard-hit by the pandemic – by providing nearly $37 million in additional support to CSFP.

Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed HR 1319, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

USDA awarded $12.1 million in Farm to School Grants – the most awarded since the grant program’s inception ‒ to 159 grantees – the most projects funded to date. These awards will help bring fresh, local foods into schools and foster economic opportunity for America’s farmers over the next school year.

Secretary Sonny Perdue has sworn in Brandon Lipps as FNCS Deputy Under Secretary and Pam Miller as the FNS Administrator.

Secretary Sonny Perdue met today with leaders from around the country to explore new ways to help low-income Americans access nutritious food and move to an independent and self-sufficient future.