About ACDA
A non-profit professional trade association, ACDA is devoted to improvement of the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Commodity Food Distribution Program.
Code of Federal Regulations 7 Part 250 outlines general regulations and policies for donation of foods under USDA’s Commodity Food Distribution Program. Although often referred to as "donated foods," USDA-purchased commodity foods are high quality foods such as meats, poultry, fruits, vegetables, grains, vegetable oil, peanut and dairy products. The program began in 1935 to encourage consumption of overabundant domestic farm products while providing nutritious foods to participating individuals. This is still the purpose of the program today.
Dedicated to the growth and improvement of USDA’s Commodity Food Distribution Program, ACDA members include: state agencies that distribute USDA-purchased commodity foods; agricultural organizations; industry; associate members; recipient agencies, such as schools and soup kitchens; and allied organizations, such as anti-hunger groups. ACDA members are responsible for distributing over 1.5 billion pounds of USDA-purchased commodity foods annually through programs such as National School Lunch Program, the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), Charitable Institution Program, and Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR).
ACDA strives to strengthen USDA’s Commodity Food Program which provides food to participating school lunch programs, charitable institutions, residential child care are institutions, child and adult day care centers, summer camps, summer food service programs for children, elderly nutrition programs, supplemental feeding programs for pregnant women, infants, and children and seniors, Indian households and disaster victims.