Legislation introduced to move Food for Peace program to USDA

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Legislation introduced to move Food for Peace program to USDA

A federal foreign food aid program may have new life, thanks to legislation introduced in Congress this week.

Is passed, Food for Peace would be moved to the USDA from the shuttered U.S. Agency for International Development. Virginia Houston, director of government affairs for the American Soybean Association tells Brownfield continuing the program is crucial.

“We want to continue being able to do what we do best, and that’s feeding the world. Food for Peace is just such a good program and our farmers want to see it succeed in continue and again, with the uncertainty around the future of USAID, our farmers thought that this would help preserve the program no matter what happens.”

The proposal to move the program was a response to the Trump administration’s decision to dismantle USAID. Kansas Association of Wheat Growers President Chris Tanner says moving Food for Peace to the USDA will connect U.S. farm grains directly to those in need.

“We do raise excess. We are the breadbasket of the world, and, you know, to take care of our our neighbors overseas, that are in need. I mean, that’s, something that’s highly critical and and basically, the the right thing to do is you take care of your neighbors,” he says.

Food for Peace was started in the 1950s by former president Dwight D. Eisenhower.

The House resolution was introduced by Congressman Tracey Mann, of Kansas. Cosponsors include House Ag Committee chair Glenn GT Thompson, as well as fellow Republican committee members Rick Crawford, of Arkansas, Dan Newhouse, of Washington and David Rouzer, of North Carolina. Republican U.S. Senators Jerry Moran, of Kansas, and John Hoeven, of North Dakota have also sponsored the legislation.