The 2023 farm bill should reverse the international trend toward cash donations for hunger relief, said the North American Millers Association on Thursday. In a three-page list of farm bill priorities, NAMA said it supports putting “the food back into food aid” programs.
“The farm bill should recognize the unique contributions of U.S. farmers by eliminating the use of Food for Peace to hand out cash or vouchers or purchase commodities from competitors,” said the trade association. At least half of Food for Peace funding should be spent on the purchase of commodities for donation overseas, it said.
Food for Peace, created during the Cold War, is the largest U.S. food aid program. Besides providing U.S.-grown food to vulnerable populations, funding is also used to buy food from nearby countries and for food vouchers. Studies in recent years have contended that donating food was expensive and shipments were slow to arrive.
The Biden administration has requested $1.8 billion for Food for Peace in the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1, the same spending as this year.