USA: New Bill Supports Urban Farming and Innovation for a Sustainable Future
Urban farming is a simple yet powerful way to expand green space in cities, reduce pollution runoff into waterways, and combat food insecurity.
By MyChesCo
July 29, 2023
Excerpt:
For the first time, USDA Service Centers are opening in urban cities across the nation to position themselves near the growing number of urban and suburban farmers and provide farm production and conservation services. The Supporting Urban and Innovative Farming Act makes programmatic reforms to the Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (OUAIP) to improve the content and delivery of technical assistance to urban and innovative producers, enables cooperative agreements with community experts, increases access to grant funds directly to farmers, and scales up composting and food waste initiatives.
“I came to Washington to fight for forgotten communities and urban areas are notably underserved when it comes to food security and nutrition,” said Senator Fetterman. “As Chair of the Nutrition Subcommittee, I am proud to introduce this bill that will combat food deserts and malnutrition in urban areas and support small, beginning, and underserved farmers. My legislation will increase existing investments in PA agriculture through vertical farms, community gardens, and much more.”
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