WASHINGTON, June 23 (Reuters) - The Biden administration will spend $2.3 billion on food purchases for schools and food banks as the end of pandemic-era aid leads to rising food insecurity, the Department of Agriculture said on Friday.
Supplemental food aid for low-income families and schools tied to the COVID-19 pandemic has mostly expired.
Food banks and other emergency food providers have reported near-record demand as food price inflation continues to strain household budgets.
The USDA will provide nearly $1.3 billion to states and territories for additional food purchases for school meal programs, which the agency said is needed due to the expiration of a 2022 law that temporarily increased funding to those programs.
It will also distribute nearly $1 billion to organizations like food banks and community kitchens for commodity purchases from U.S. farmers.
Persons:
Biden, Tom Vilsack, Vilsack, Leah Douglas, Frances Kerry
Organizations:
Department of Agriculture, USDA, U.S . Census Bureau, USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation, U.S . Treasury, Thomson
Locations:
Ukraine