The Data Liberation Project — USDA Food Purchases

As part of its work supporting the National School Lunch Program, Commodity Supplemental Food Program, and other major nutrition food programs, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) purchases large amounts of food and food commodities. It tracks these purchases through its Web Based Supply Chain Management system (WBSCM).

“On a yearly basis, WBSCM directly supports the order, procurement, and delivery of over 6.5 billion pounds of American farm food commodities with a value in excess of $4 billion,” according to the agency.

A recent Government Accountability Office report demonstrates the public interest of WBSCM data, which the authors analyzed to assess USDA’s efficacy providing seafood to students through the National School Lunch Program.

Our FOIA request 📄 to USDA seeks all database records stored within WBSCM, plus all relevant database documentation.

🔔 Click here to receive updates about this request

Updates

Second Set of Records Provided • On June 28, 2024, the USDA provided 📄 a “second supplemental response” of 757 pages of records. The agency says it is reviewing additional records for disclosure.
Initial Records Provided • On April 19, 2024, the USDA provided 📄 a “first supplemental response” of 356 pages of records. The agency says it is reviewing additional records for disclosure.
Denial Appealed • On November 28, 2023, the Cornell Law School First Amendment Clinic sent the USDA a letter appealing the denial 📄, focusing on the withholding of the documentation records sought in the second part of the request. The appeal was acknowledged by the agency on November 29, 2023, and assigned the tracking number 2024-AMS-00001-A.
Request Denied • On September 1, 2023, the USDA emailed a letter fully denying access to the requested records 📄. The agency argues that the first part of the request “lacks specificity”, and is withholding all records sought by the second part of the request under FOIA exemptions (b)(3) and (b)(7)(E).
Request Acknowledged, Fee Waiver Granted • On December 20, 2022, an AMS FOIA officer sent an email acknowledging our request 📄 and noting, “we have determined that your fee waiver request does sufficiently meet all of the criteria under the FOIA and the applicable regulations; therefore, your request for a fee waiver is approved.”