U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) commends the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for the announcement of $825 million in “America First” international food assistance investments through the Food for Progress, Food for Peace, and McGovern-Dole Food for Education and programs.
“U.S. wheat farmers have stayed long-term, proud supporters of U.S. food assistance programs since they started,” said Gary Millershaski, USW chairman and wheat farmer from Lakin, KS. “We’re pleased to see USDA make these commodity awards as these programs help provide critical assistance where it is needed most and strengthens relationships with the customers of tomorrow who will drive future demand.”
Food for Progress
Under the Food for Progress program, in-kind donations of U.S. food commodities like wheat are monetized, or sold to local processors or traders in a recipient country in local currency. The proceeds from those sales can then be used for developmental projects, conducted by a cooperating non-governmental organization.
Wheat is often the largest commodity used in Food for Progress programs, with an ancillary benefit of supporting future commercial customers in recipient countries. Commercial sales of U.S. wheat to Colombia following a successful monetization project are one clear example of the effectiveness of the program in its dual aims of providing humanitarian assistance and expanding market access for U.S. producers.
Food for Peace
Food for Peace, also known as Public Law 480, was signed into law in 1954 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Since the program’s inception, U.S.-grown wheat has remained an important commodity for food assistance, often representing half of the bulk in-kind aid and routinely using around one million metric tons of U.S. wheat annually.
McGovern-Dole Food for Education
The McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program helps support education, child development and food security in low-income, food-deficit countries around the globe. The program purchases nutritious packaged U.S. agricultural commodities from American farmers, ranchers, and producers, to support school feeding and maternal and child nutrition projects.
In addition to the individual projects awarded, today’s announcement highlights the effectiveness of the USDA’s successful administration of food assistance programs.
“I recently returned from Kenya, where I saw firsthand how food assistance programs are providing critical support to people in need,” Millershaski said. “Talking with the NGO’s that are leveraging previous Food for Progress awards to monetize U.S. wheat and support agricultural development clearly illustrated to me why these programs remain valuable tools for feeding the world’s most vulnerable populations while strengthening ties between U.S. farmers and recipients.”