(Des Moines, IA) -- An Iowa pandemic, food insecurity task force is scaling back it's efforts. Iowa Lieutenant Governor Adam Gregg, who led the effort, says throughout the past year more than $415 million in federal COVID relief dollars helped support food insecurity efforts. He says the task force is now scaling back it's efforts. The Lt. Governor says task force members will, however, continue to work on food insecurity issues, with a focus on responding to emergency situations.
Lt. Governor Gregg is highlighting the actions of the task force to support food pantries across the state, as well as a key partnership with Iowa farmers.
Last year the state launched several efforts to support livestock producers, impacted by pandemic disruptions in the food chain. He says their efforts resulted in more than 1.75 million servings of Iowa raised protein to Iowans in need.
Through the Pass the Pork initiative, farmers donated nearly 500-pigs and 600-thousand pounds of ground pork to food insecure Iowans. Cattle producers donated 450-thousand servings of ground beef across the state through the Beef Up Iowa program. Turkey producers donated 700-thousand servings of turkey to food banks across the state.
The task force also awarded grants to more than 100-food pantries to upgrade refrigeration units to accept more Iowa produce and serve more people.
(Photo from food bank of Iowa)