FOOD AID

ASA Position

American farmers play a significant role in alleviating world hunger. ASA strongly supports all U.S. food aid programs, and uses of food in development and emergency assistance to developing nations. ASA opposes replacing U.S. food aid with cash donations.

For FY-2011, ASA supports funding for P.L. 480 Title II at not less than $2 billion, Food for Progress at not less than $200 million, and the McGovern-Dole Food for Education Program at not less than $300 million. ASA supports increasing funding for emergency food assistance as necessary. ASA opposes reducing development food aid to offset shortfalls in emergency funding.   

Background

U.S. food aid programs have been perennially underfunded.  In 2009, P.L. 480 Title II received $1.2 billion in regular appropriations, but an additional $700 million was later required in a supplemental appropriation to make up the shortfall in food aid assistance. ASA supports supplemental appropriations that compensate for shortfalls in food aid budgets, provide food for additional emergency needs, restore development assistance programs that were cut to divert food to emergencies, and replenish the Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust, which is a back up reserve to provide food for emergency needs.

ASA believes strongly that in-kind food aid remains the most sustainable tool in the food aid toolbox. In-kind food aid is strongly supported by both the American people and Members of Congress, and is critical to global food security efforts. 

ASA supports improving nutrition in populations suffering from hunger, malnutrition and poverty, and is committed to working through the WISHH Program to fortify protein-deficient diets and achieve complementary goals of economic development.

ASA supports efforts to increase the effectiveness and speed of delivery of U.S. food aid, including exploration of alternative procurement and delivery methods, such as pre-positioning and procurement in advance of specific call forwards. Local and regional purchases can be a useful tool for addressing global food insecurity, but they should work in coordination with current food aid programs. In-kind donations should remain intact, and funding for local purchases should come from the appropriate foreign assistance budget.