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An Introduction to Local Food Purchasing Incentives
By Cassandra Bull, National Farm to School Network Policy Specialist and Colleen Matts, Director, Farm to Institution Programs Center for Regional Food Systems, Michigan State University
Local Food Purchasing Incentives (LFPIs) are programs that provide additional funding to child nutrition program (CNP) operators to directly offset or incentivize local food purchases.
These programs are typically funded and operated at the state level with the intent to increase the purchase of local foods in school and early care and education (ECE) settings. According to the National Farm to School Network, the first state-level LFPI was established in 2001, and as of August 2023, at least 16 states and Washington, D.C. have established LFPIs.
Review this document for an introduction to Local Food Purchasing Incentives.
This document is part of a resource series on Local Food Purchasing Incentives (LFPIs), produced through collaboration between the Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems (CRFS) and the National Farm to School Network. This project aims to contribute to the growing body of knowledge on LFPIs and provide more information for farm to school advocates and practitioners nationwide.
Explore other resources in this series at foodsystems.msu.edu/local-food-purchasing-incentives. To learn more about states that offer LFPI’s, check out farmtoschool.org/policy/lfpi.
