WASHINGTON, D.C. (NAFB) – Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow urges the Department of Agriculture to implement American Rescue Plan provisions to protect food and farm workers.

In a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Stabenow states the American Rescue Plan “included resources so that the people who power our food and ag supply chain are protected and have the resources they need to stay safe and keep the shelves stocked.”

In the letter, Stabenow highlights supply chain provisions of the legislation, as well as programs in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, including measures to increase purchases of food for donation, supply chain infrastructure investments and others. Additionally, Chairwoman Stabenow highlighted the capacity of some existing programs at USDA to help make the supply chain more resilient and flexible in the face of large-scale disruptions.

Stabenow writes, “This is also an opportunity to better prepare the food supply chain in the event of a future disruptive event.”