Promoting Indigenous Foods: USDA Invests in Bison Purchase Pilot for Tribal Feeding Programs
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced its investment in a Bison Purchase Pilot Incorporating Indian Country Bison for Tribal Feeding Programs. The project is aimed at offering more localized bison meat to tribal communities through the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR). The pilot will look at changes to how USDA purchases bison to better support small and mid-sized bison herd managers and deliver the meat directly to local tribal communities.
The announcement was made by USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jenny Lester Moffitt, Food Safety and Inspection Service Administrator Paul Kiecker, USDA Office of Tribal Relations Director Heather Dawn Thompson, and a regional representative from USDA Food and Nutrition Service. The three tribal nations participating in the pilot are the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, and Lower Brule Sioux Tribe, and their herd managers, and local producer Dakota Pure Bison.
The pilot project aims to reduce the time and distance the meat travels to the consumer, increase economic development market opportunities for tribal and local bison operations, and provide high-quality, nutritious foods for nutrition assistance programs. The USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service coordinates food purchases on behalf of USDA, the Food and Nutrition Service administers FDPIR, the Food Safety and Inspection Service, and the USDA Office of Tribal Relations are working together to bring this new opportunity to tribal communities.
Tribal communities have long shared an interest in accessing more localized food products through FDPIR. USDA purchase specifications do not align with how tribal and other small- and mid-sized producers operate. This pilot responds to feedback from across Indian Country and from small producers by aligning purchase timeframes with indigenous informed principles of infrequent animal handling, traditional field harvests following a nature-based purchasing calendar, and allowing either USDA or state inspection. This pilot will also explore smaller packaging and purchase orders to meet small- and mid-sized enterprises at scale and exclusively target Historically Underutilized Business Zones (HUBZone) purchase preferences benefiting economically distressed areas, of which all tribal reservations qualify. All producers announced through this pilot operate on tribal lands.
By offering more access to local and tribal bison meat for tribal communities, USDA is investing in a more open food system for all. USDA’s pilot project is a significant step forward, creating better market access, and increasing incorporation of indigenous foods important to indigenous communities.
The USDA’s Bison Purchase Pilot Incorporating Indian Country Bison for Tribal Feeding Programs is a significant step forward in promoting indigenous foods and investing in a more open food system for all. The pilot project aims to reduce the time and distance the meat travels to the consumer, increase economic development market opportunities for tribal and local bison operations, and provide high-quality, nutritious foods for nutrition assistance programs. By offering more access to local and tribal bison meat for tribal communities, USDA is investing in a more resilient and sustainable food system for all.
