COVID-19, U.S. Agriculture, and USDA's Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) [May 8, 2020]   [open pdf - 1MB]

From the Introduction: "This report describes some of the actions that USDA has taken in response to the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] emergency, including CFAP [Coronavirus Food Assistance Program]--in particular, how CFAP is funded and how USDA intends to use the funds. The description of USDA COVID-19 response efforts is preceded by: first, a brief review of food supply chain issues where the U.S. agricultural sector has experienced economic harm or is potentially vulnerable to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic; and second, a review of current assessments of the economic harm to U.S. farm income, as well as to individual commodity sectors, resulting from COVID-19. The report then describes the emergency funds that have been allocated to address the U.S. agricultural sector, and how USDA plans on using those funds, including a detailed description of CFAP producer payments, and USDA's food purchase and distribution efforts. [...] Finally, several issues related to CFAP and the U.S. agricultural sector in a post-COVID economy that could be of potential interest to Congress are presented at the end of this report."