USDA Launches E-Government Resource for Commodity Food Information

USDA Press Release

Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman today announced an e-government resource designed to provide one-stop information about U.S. Department of Agriculture commodities. The Commodity Food Network (CFN) provides a single-point-of-contact to all online federal resources and services related to the purchase and distribution of USDA commodities.

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"Improving access to nutrition assistance programs is a priority for the Bush Administration," Veneman said. "The Commodity Food Network will enable schools, community feeding organizations, state agencies, Native American tribal organizations and others to have instant access to information about USDA commodities."

In 2000, USDA launched the Business Process Re-engineering (BPR) Project, an initiative to streamline the commodity distribution programs and ensure that they are cost effective and customer service oriented. The Commodity Food Network is one component of the BPR Project and it provides comprehensive information about commodity purchasing, food availability, food safety and recall updates.

The BPR Project is a collaborative effort headed by Eric M. Bost, under secretary for food, nutrition and consumer services; William Hawks, under secretary for marketing and regulatory programs; J.B. Penn, under secretary for farm and foreign agricultural services; and Elsa Murano, under secretary for food safety.

"The project also supports President Bush's e-government initiative by effectively using the Internet as a one-stop shopping for information," said Veneman. "The Commodity Food Network allows us to better serve low-income families, state and local agencies, schools, and our partners in food and agriculture who are involved in USDA commodity programs."

USDA's Food Distribution Programs are administered by the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), which works directly with state and local agencies to obtain and place their food orders in accordance with authorized levels of spending. FNS coordinates its efforts with the Agricultural Marketing Service and the Farm Service Agency, agencies which gather competitive bids from vendors, award contracts and ensure delivery of all purchased commodities. In addition, the Food Safety and Inspection Service ensures that meat and poultry products are safe.

The Commodity Food Network is available at http://www.commodityfoods.usda.gov/ . Further information about nutrition assistance programs is available at http://www.fns.usda.gov .

WASHINGTON, October 21, 2003-Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman today announced $1.3 million in grant and cooperative agreement awards in seven states and the District of Columbia for research on food assistance.

"This research will help ensure that USDA's programs are responsive in meeting the changing nutritional needs of our nation's most vulnerable families and individuals," said Veneman. "A well-nourished individual is healthier, more likely to learn and more productive."

The goal of the research is to examine, evaluate and enhance USDA's food and nutrition assistance programs. The grants and cooperative agreements will fund projects in California, the District of Columbia, Indiana, Louisiana, New Jersey, New York, Tennessee and Virginia. The projects will examine a number of program-related issues:

factors causing variations in WIC infant formula rebates across states, and the effect of the rebate program on the wholesale price of infant formula;

food stamp use by legal immigrants before and after the 2002 Farm Bill's restoration of benefits to noncitizens;

impacts of key Food Stamp Program provisions in the 2002 Farm Bill on program costs and participation (e.g., provisions allowing simplified reporting and transitional food stamps for families leaving cash welfare);

relationships among Food Stamp Program participation, food insecurity, and expenditures;

relationships among employment, at-home meal production, food spending, and food security in food stamp households;
sources of variation in State Food Stamp Program participation rates;

factors associated with variation in Food Stamp Program participation rates across Virginia;

relationship of food security and participation in food assistance programs to obesity, health, and well-being of adults;

relationship of food security and participation in food assistance programs to weight status, health, development, and well-being of children;

relationship of neighborhood characteristics, including food prices, to obesity, and the association between obesity and children's academic and developmental outcomes in elementary school;

methodology to assess the level of implementation of the Team Nutrition Program; and

relationships among Food Stamp Program participation, food sufficiency, and the health of the elderly.

All of the research projects are competitively awarded by the Food Assistance and Nutrition Research Program (FANRP), administered by USDA's Economic Research Service (ERS). FANRP studies and evaluates the performance of the Food Stamp Program, WIC, Child Nutrition Programs, and related issues.

The following is a complete list of award recipients. Further information can be accessed on the web at http://www.ers.usda.gov/briefing/FoodNutritionAssistance/fanrp , or from program contact Vic Oliveria (202)694-5434 victoro@ers.usda.gov

Alisa Harrison (202) 720-4623
Jean Daniel (703) 305-2286