; (8) the women, infants, and children farmers’ market nutrition program is a vital safeguard for the nearly 1 in 7 children who will be— (A) born into poverty in the United States; and (B) at nutritional risk; (9) according to the Department of Agriculture, the women, infants, and children farmers’ market nutrition program has a total program and seasonal benefit funding backlog of $6,198,432 across all participating States, territories, and Indian Tribes; (10) in the United States, food banks provide meals to 1 in 7 individuals; (11) (A) many food banks share special relationships with local farmers, who often donate crops to food banks; and (B) the relationships described in subparagraph (A) allow for more efficient and sustainable procurement for food banks; (12) assisting food banks to grow their own food will aid local procurement and allow food banks to serve as farming resources to their communities, especially to individuals who are food-insecure; and (13) the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 ( Public Law 115–334 ; 132 Stat. 4490) (and amendments made by that Act) specifically required an examination of methods to incorporate local products to reduce food waste. (b) Purposes The purposes of this Act are— (1) to increase and enhance funding for farmers’ market nutrition programs— (A) to support seniors and food-insecure families; and (B) to increase market capacity for local farmers; (2) to provide funding assistance for the expansion and construction of farmers’ markets in rural and urban food desert areas; and (3) to increase local food production through— (A) encouraging partnerships of food banks and local farmers; and (B) the provision of funding to food banks to grow necessary produce through traditional or controlled environmental agriculture farming methods. 3. Authorization for seniors farmers’ market nutrition program Section 4402(a) of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 ( 7 U.S.C. 3007(a) ) is amended— (1) by striking 2023 and inserting 2028