The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Agency for International Development will deploy $1 billion in Commodity Credit Corporation funding to purchase U.S.-grown commodities to provide emergency food assistance to people in need throughout the world, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and USAID Administrator Samantha Power announced Thursday (April 18, 2024).
“America’s farmers are the most productive and efficient in the world, and we rely on them to supply safe and nutritious food not only to our nation, but to the global community,” Secretary Vilsack said. “With many millions of people in dire need worldwide, the U.S. agricultural sector is well positioned to provide lifesaving food assistance. The United States produces more commodities than are consumed, and therefore has the opportunity to partner with USAID and extend this food to those in our global community who are struggling.”
“During this time of staggering global hunger, America is extending a hand to hungry communities around the world – and American farmers are crucial to that effort,” said Administrator Power. “USAID is honored to collaborate with USDA to purchase, ship and distribute our surplus food supplies to people in urgent need across the globe.”
In October 2023, USDA stated its intention to bolster efforts to combat global hunger by purchasing U.S.-grown commodities and working with USAID, the lead federal coordinator for disaster assistance, to ensure those commodities reach people in need around the world.
An initial tranche of approximately $950 million will support the purchase, shipment and distribution of U.S. wheat, rice, sorghum, lentils, chickpeas, dry peas, vegetable oil, cornmeal, navy beans, pinto beans and kidney beans – commodities that align with traditional USAID international food assistance programming. USAID will determine where the available commodities will be most appropriate for programming without disrupting local markets. USDA will purchase the commodities and transfer them to USAID for distribution.
A separate pilot project, of up to $50 million, will also be set up to utilize U.S. commodities that have not traditionally been part of international food assistance programming, but that are shelf stable and suitable for use in feeding food-insecure populations. USAID is working with humanitarian organizations to develop this limited pilot project, and details will be released once they have been developed. This pilot will only apply to this funding stream and no other food assistance programs administered by USAID.
USAID has selected 18 countries for the initial round of support:
- Bangladesh
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Chad
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Djibouti
- Ethiopia
- Haiti
- Kenya
- Madagascar
- Mali
- Nigeria
- Rwanda
- South Sudan
- Sudan
- Tanzania
- Uganda
- Yemen
According to the Global Report on Food Crises and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, an estimated 205 million people need life-saving food assistance worldwide and some 768 million people are facing chronic hunger. These commodities will be used to provide emergency food assistance to people facing dire food insecurity. This effort is vital to the Biden-Harris Administration’s continued push to address emergency food needs around the world, injecting additional food assistance into the 18 countries listed above and thereby freeing up resources to address emerging crises worldwide when needed.
U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) and the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) are pleased that U.S. wheat farmers can help increase global food assistance under a new U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) funding program announced Thursday (April 18, 2024).
USDA and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will invest $1 billion in Commodity Credit Corporation funding to provide for the purchase, shipment and distribution of U.S. wheat and other commodities for USAID international food assistance programming.
“American wheat farmers are proud to step up to the plate to provide critical food resources to address global needs,” Oklahoma wheat farmer and USW Chairman Michael Peters said. “This funding will provide wheat and other commodities to address food insecurity. These additional resources will help the U.S. wheat industry, and U.S. agriculture, continue to be a reliable source of food for the world.”
USW and NAWG thank Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack for releasing the new funds that will directly benefit U.S. wheat farmers and people affected by hunger in several countries. Additionally, the organizations thank Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and John Boozman (R-AR) for a letter they sent to Vilsack this past fall formally requesting additional support for food assistance.
U.S. wheat farmers have been partners in U.S. food assistance programs for more than 70 years and take pride in sharing their harvest to address critical hunger needs. Through the USDA’s Food for Progress and USAID Food for Peace programs, the American people have donated more than one million metric tons of wheat annually for the past three years.
“Additional funding for food assistance programs will help address the most urgent humanitarian needs in a generation. USW and NAWG look forward to working with USDA and other partners to ensure additional food donations generate the significant benefits where they are needed,” said NAWG President Keeff Felty. “As NAWG works with Congress to reauthorize the Farm Bill, we continue to advocate for strengthening the in-kind commodity donation program and additional investments in the existing trade promotion programs.”
Members of the USW and NAWG Food Aid Working Group are proud of the wheat provided through these food aid programs and believe that commodity donation is an effective portion of the whole effort.
“Wheat makes up the largest portion of emergency food assistance managed by USAID’s Food for Peace office,” said Amanda Hoey, Chief Executive Officer, Oregon Wheat Commission and Chair of the USW Food Aid Working Group. “It is a natural demonstration of the generosity of U.S. farmers and their ability to produce an abundance of commodities that can be shared around the world.”
For more information about food security and assistance, visit the USW website here, and the NAWG website here.
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