Virgin Islands Good Food Remains Steadfast in Mission After Critical Federal Funding for Farmers is Cancelled
- Mark Dworkin
- Sep 15
- 4 min read
Updated: Sep 17
M.A. Dworkin
U.S. Virgin Islands – Virgin Islands Good Food Coalition, Inc. (dba Virgin Islands Good Food), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to food system development, announces that a key multi-year federal funding award has been terminated. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Regional Food Business Center (RFBC) Program, which supported Virgin Islands Good Food’s coordination, technical assistance, and community capacity-building work, was cancelled in alignment with recent shifts in USDA funding priorities.
The Islands and Remote Areas RFBC grant was awarded in 2023 as one of only 12 centers nationwide. It was uniquely designed to strengthen food systems in some of the most geographically remote regions of the United States: Alaska, American Samoa, Guam, Hawai‘i, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Led by the Hawai‘i Good Food Alliance, the initiative also included partners Alaska Food Policy Council, Guåhan Sustainable Culture, Alliance for Agriculture-Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands Good Food. Together, these nonprofit partners laid the groundwork to coordinate technical assistance and provide direct capacity-building support for small and mid-sized food and farm businesses across the Caribbean and Pacific.
The USDA established the RFBC program in 2022 to strengthen local and regional food systems by investing directly in farmers and food businesses, providing technical assistance, and coordinating efforts across jurisdictions. Nationally, the program promised to:
Deploy $8 million in Business Builder subawards to 150–200 local food and farm businesses to strengthen aggregation, processing, infrastructure, and market access.
Activate $4 million in Technical Assistance contracts with over 35 providers across participating jurisdictions.
Support hundreds of American producers lacking access to capital, infrastructure, and markets.
In the first 18 months of work under the RFBC, Virgin Islands Good Food conducted site visits with farmers and producers, hosted information sessions across St. Croix, St. Thomas, and St. John – including at the Islands Food Systems Summit – and engaged more than 165 farmers, producers, and partner agencies. These efforts built a foundation of critical data and insights into the challenges and opportunities shaping the Virgin Islands’ food system.
To share these findings, Virgin Islands Good Food and its Island & Remote Areas RFBC partners recently released a series of reports highlighting where resources are most needed and where opportunities for growth exist. Available at www.goodfoodvi.org/rfbc, the publications include Returning to Abundance – Honoring Local Roots & Practices, a historical and current
look at food systems in non-contiguous U.S. regions, and the 2025 USVI Credit Feasibility Report, which assesses the USVI’s agricultural and fishing industries and offers recommendations for strengthening growth.
However, following Executive Order 14151 of January 20, 2025, the USDA abruptly froze RFBC funding during the second year of the five-year grant. The freeze extended through July and culminated in USDA’s official termination of the Islands and Remote Areas RFBC on July 15, 2025, with all program activities ordered to close by September 15.
For the Virgin Islands, this loss of funding has immediate and significant consequences. The five-year award had been designed to regrant $1,050,000 directly to Virgin Islands farmers and producers, while also providing mentorship and free support services to more than 48 grassroots food and farming leaders. In total, the program was set to reach up to 150 local food and farm businesses, offering a rare and transformative opportunity to strengthen food security across the territory. The cancellation also disrupts collaborations with food and farm businesses and nonprofit partners in Puerto Rico and Vieques.
The Islands and Remote Areas RFBC has formally appealed the termination, emphasizing that farmers in remote regions face some of the most significant barriers to infrastructure development and capital access.
“This decision not only affects our organization, it impacts farmers, fishers, food system workers, and community members who rely on these resources for growth, resilience, and sustainability,” said Sommer Sibilly-Brown, Executive Director of Virgin Islands Good Food.
Even as it closes out this program, Virgin Islands Good Food is pushing forward. The organization is building a Technical Assistance Network to strengthen farms and food businesses across the USVI and Caribbean. Those interested in participating are encouraged to complete the survey at: https://bit.ly/VIGF-TA-Survey. This tool will help identify and connect individuals and organizations offering technical assistance in areas such as regenerative farming, disaster preparedness, business planning, food safety, logistics, and workforce development. A free, publicly accessible database of service providers will soon be available online.
Despite this setback, Virgin Islands Good Food remains steadfast in its mission. “We are not giving up,” said Sibilly-Brown. “We are regrouping and we have new projects on the horizon. We will continue fighting for a just, sustainable, and locally rooted food system in the Virgin Islands, because our people deserve no less.”
About Virgin Islands Good Food Virgin Islands Good Food Coalition, Inc. (dba Virgin Islands Good Food) is a place-based nonprofit dedicated to cultivating a thriving and just local food system that supports Virgin Islands farmers, fishers, and producers, and ensures that nutritious, affordable, and culturally relevant food is accessible to every resident. Established in 2012, Virgin Islands Good Food is a federally recognized 501(c)(3) organization.
