Dear Editor,
Recent articles and feedback from Kansans have raised important questions about the future of the Food for Peace program. Through this program, the federal government purchases surplus commodities from our nation’s farmers and provides those crops to countries facing widespread hunger.
Last month, I introduced legislation with Senators John Hoeven and Roger Marshall and Representative Tracey Mann that would move the administration of Food for Peace out from under the turbulent U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in an effort to prevent waste, bring the program closer to the farmers that depend on it and ensure the continuation of this valuable program.
A transition of this scale would take time, but the long-term continuity of Food for Peace is essential to deliver food to the hungry and provide our farmers with a valuable market for their crops.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has extensive experience with international operations. The agency’s Agricultural Marketing Service manages commodity procurement through the Kansas City Commodity Office, and its Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) has experience with international food aid, offering an established global network to ensure the distribution and monitoring of food assistance.
USDA has successfully administered other international food aid programs, such as Food for Progress and McGovern-Dole, both of which operate on a global scale. With these programs as a foundation, USDA is well-equipped to take on the additional responsibility of Food for Peace, ensuring continued cooperation with NGOs that work with USAID to procure and ship U.S.-grown commodities.
Currently, USDA has employees detailed to USAID who assist with Food for Peace. These employees will bring valuable insights back to USDA, helping ensure a smooth transition when the program is fully transferred.
Transferring Food for Peace operations to USDA would also streamline current operations. Today, USAID and the USDA each handle different aspects of the program, creating inefficiencies, particularly in shipping. By consolidating these responsibilities under one agency, we can save money and get aid where it needs to be much quicker.
With the enactment of this legislation, USDA will receive the necessary funding for Food for Peace operations, enabling the agency to hire additional staff to fill any gaps in staffing.
This program is invaluable to Kansas farmers, and we have a moral imperative to help feed the hungry across the world.
We must make certain this program is in good hands and can continue to bring revenue to American agriculture. By bringing Food for Peace to the USDA, I am confident we can do that.
U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran,
Kansas
