Something You Should Know: The Quiet Loss That Will Hurt Rural Communities and Small Farmers

Across America, local farmers and rural communities are facing a challenge that many people haven’t heard about — and it has the potential to reshape food access, local economies, and the stability of small agricultural producers.

The Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA) was created under President Joe Biden as a national effort to strengthen local food systems and rebuild resilience after the pandemic. The program funded states, tribes, and territories to purchase foods grown locally and distribute them to food banks, senior programs, and community-based feeding sites.

Families received healthier, fresher food — and farmers gained steady revenue.

But recently, this important program was cut — and the consequences will be felt most deeply in rural communities, including many African American and Hispanic farmers who depend on equitable market access.

🌾 Why the LFPA Program Was So Important

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The LFPA program created a direct bridge between local farms and local families. For small producers — especially African American, Hispanic, tribal, and other historically underserved farmers — LFPA opened long-closed doors.

The program allowed communities to:

• Access healthy, nutritious, and culturally relevant foods

• Provide small farmers with stable, dependable revenue

• Strengthen local food supply chains

• Increase economic opportunity in rural and low-income regions

This wasn’t charity — it was smart, targeted investment in people and place.

❗ The Impact of Cutting the LFPA Program

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With LFPA discontinued, the effects will be felt on both sides of the food system.

🚜 1. Small Farmers Lose a Lifeline

This includes many African American and Hispanic farmers, who already face historic barriers in lending, markets, and land access.

Without LFPA, farmers may see:

• Reduced income

• Fewer consistent buyers

• Growing vulnerability to large-scale corporate farms

🍎 2. Rural Communities Lose Access to Nutritious Food

Food banks and feeding programs — many serving minority and underserved rural households — will now have fewer fresh, local options to give out.

💸 3. Local Economies Take a Hit

The loss of farmer income harms entire rural communities, where each dollar circulates multiple times.This hurts:

• Rural grocery stores

• Local suppliers

• Small town economies

🛠️ 4. Food System Resilience Weakens

LFPA was designed to build resilience. Cutting it makes the system weaker — especially in communities already facing inequities.

🌟 Why This Matters — and What We Can Do

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This program’s elimination is more than a policy shift — it is a barrier for:

• Rural households

• African American and Hispanic farmers

• Tribal agricultural communities

• Local food movements

• Food-insecure families

• Fair and equitable agriculture

Rural America — especially its minority farmers and vulnerable communities — deserves strong, consistent investment.

Local food is not just about what we eat.It’s about economic dignity, community strength, and generational stability.

✨ Strong Food Systems Create Strong Communities

Supporting farmers means supporting families.Strengthening local food systems means strengthening the future.

This is something everyone should know — and something worth sharing.