Food Aid: More Important Now Than Ever
By Shelbi Knisley, USW Director of Trade Policy The COVID-19 pandemic is threatening to push an estimated 71 to 140 million people into extreme poverty according to studies by the United Nations and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). According to the IFPRI study, “a global health crisis could thus cause a major food […]
Wheat, Sorghum and Rice Growers Observe the Value of Food Aid Programs in East Africa
By Elizabeth Westendorf, USW Assistant Director of Policy Of the more than 1.9 million metric tons (MMT) of international food commodities the United States donated in 2018/19, more than 800,000 MT of it was high-quality milling wheat. Given the important role U.S. agriculture plays in supporting the neediest people around the world, farmers representing U.S. […]
U.S Wheat Industry Supports International Food Assistance Programs
By Elizabeth Westendorf, USW Assistant Director of Policy “We know that a peaceful world cannot long exist, one-third rich and two-thirds hungry.” – President Jimmy Carter Conflict and population displacement are both on the rise around the world. From war in Yemen to natural disasters in Southern and Eastern Africa, when these events happen, the […]
Annual World Food Prize Event Focuses on Nutrition Challenges and Food Production Growth
By Elizabeth Westendorf, USW Assistant Director of Policy In its 2018 Global Agricultural Productivity (GAP) Index, the Global Harvest Initiative has reported that food production growth is not keeping up with the rising population pressures. The past four years, the index has reported a similar trend, and that gap is widening. This is one reason […]
The United States and U.S. Wheat Step Up to Address Yemen’s Desperate Food Needs
By Elizabeth Westendorf, USW Assistant Director of Policy The United States has been a leader in helping those in need around the world for more than 60 years. In marketing year (MY) 2017/18, the United States sent approximately 800,000 metric tons (MT) of wheat overseas through international food aid programs, according to U.S. Wheat Associates’ […]
An Appeal to Protect International Food Assistance
By Elizabeth Westendorf, USW Assistant Director of Policy On Feb. 12, President Trump unveiled a FY2019 budget proposal that included several areas of support for agriculture. It was disappointing, however, to see that the proposal eliminates federal funding for Food for Peace, the most effective U.S. emergency food assistance program helping populations in need around […]
U.S. Wheat Farmers Also Need FTAs in Africa
According to the United Nations, over a quarter of the world’s population will live in Africa by 2050. That will be something like 2.5 billion people. With less than 4 percent of the world’s wheat production, Africa will require significant imports to feed its growing population. A major factor in in ensuring a predictable, stable […]
Learning About Food Security and Development in Tanzania
By Elizabeth Westendorf, USW Policy Specialist U.S. wheat farmers are proud of their commodity’s role in U.S. foreign aid around the world, and the U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) Food Aid Working Group (FAWG) works diligently to support U.S. international food assistance programs. Food aid has always been an important focus of USW’s policy work, both […]
U.S. Industry Stays Engaged in Food Aid, Development Conversation
By Elizabeth Westendorf, USW Policy Specialist This year, for the first time, USDA and USAID held their International Food Assistance and Food Security Conference in conjunction with the 2016 World Food Prize event in Des Moines, IA, the week of Oct. 10. The two-day event brought together people from commodity organizations, NGOs, government and academic […]
New Food for Progress Funding Reflects Food Aid Benefits
By Elizabeth Westendorf, USW Policy Specialist Last week, USDA announced Food for Progress funding allocations for fiscal year 2016. A total of $153.2 million in funding will go to projects in eight countries that USDA estimates will reach over 3.8 million beneficiaries. Half of the countries on the list (Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Malawi, and Mozambique) […]