Washington, D.C. — Two U.S. senators recently introduced bipartisan legislation that would help local agriculture and expand access to locally-grown products on military bases.
U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Raphael Warnock (D-GA) introduced the Farm to Base Food Security Act to help the federal government better understand the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DoD) food procurement policies and bolster relationships between local agricultural producers and military bases.
It would require the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a study detailing DoD’s current food procurement practices, as well as efforts by DoD to purchase local and regional agriculture products. It would also include recommendations for increasing these purchases to strengthen connections between farmers and military bases.
“I am proud to introduce bipartisan legislation that will benefit both our local farmers and our men and women in uniform,” Rubio said. “Food security is national security, and making it easier for local farmers to supply food to military bases is something that everyone in Congress should be able to get behind.”
“Despite our state’s position as a national military and agricultural leader, Georgia’s farmers have limited opportunities to sell locally-grown products to nearby military installations,” Warnock said. “Supplying our military installations with fresh agricultural products from local producers is a win-win for Georgia’s service members, their families and our agricultural sector. I’m glad I could partner with Sen. Rubio in a bipartisan fashion to introduce the Farm to Base Food Security Act.”