Alliance praises appropriators for food aid decisions
January 17, 2014 | 03:13 PM
The congressional appropriators’ decision on the size of the international food aid budget and their decision not to agree to President Barack Obama’s proposal to move food aid jurisdiction from the Agriculture Department to the U.S. Agency for International Development has won praise from the Alliance for Global Food Security.
The group is a coalition of nonprofit organizations engaged in the delivery of food aid and development.
“The Alliance for Global Food Security commends the 2014 Consolidated Appropriations Bill for providing realistic budgets for international food aid programs and incorporating common-sense policies that will help ensure greater flexibility and effectiveness,” the group said in a news release.
In a further statement that could be interpreted as advice for the House and Senate Agriculture committees that are writing the farm bill and for appropriators in future years, the Alliance also said “The bill would serve well as a template for future food aid budget requests and legislation.”
“Importantly,” the Alliance continued, “the PL 480 and IDA [International Disaster Assistance] funds combined are $1.221 billion more than the Obama Administration’s FY 2014 budget request of no funds for PL 480 and $2.045 billion for IDA. For the many humanitarian crises that occur, as well as significant chronic hunger in areas that can easily become destabilized, sufficient funding for both PL 480 and IDA is required.”
Obama’s budget had proposed zeroing out funding for Food for Peace, shifting the funds to other development programs at USAID and ending the practice of monetization — the sale of food to raise funds for development purposes.
Other food aid and international development groups had praised Obama’s proposal to move jurisdiction to USAID and to end the practice of monetization, but had said that more money was needed than what Obama proposed.
The House Appropriations Committee also noted in a summary of the Agriculture section of the bill that they had not followed the president’s budget.
“The legislation contains $1.47 billion for “Food for Peace” grants, also known as the P.L. 480 – Title II program. This is $32 million above the fiscal year 2013 enacted level. The bill does not reflect the president’s budget request to move this program to the jurisdiction of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). In addition, the legislation provides $185.1 million for the McGovern-Dole International Food Program that uses donated U.S. commodities to support education, child development, and food security.”
The appropriators also direct USDA and USAID not to conduct a food aid reform study that was in the president’s budget.
Many of the Alliance’s members, which include ACDI/VOCA, Feed the Children and World Vision, sell commodities to finance their development activities. The Alliance also noted that the bill allows them to continue the practice, but also provides Title II funds for development activities “in countries where monetization is not a good option.”
The Alliance also noted that the bill provides $185 million for the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition, a level similar to 2013, and $1.8 billion in the Foreign Operations division for a variety of emergency purposes, including buying food locally or regionally and distributing cash to people in need.
Bread for the World, one of the groups that favored changes to the food aid programs, said in a news release, “This bill also includes a provision that slightly reforms our international food-aid program so that hundreds of thousands more people can be fed in time of need.”
The American Soybean Association, which along with other U.S. farm groups had called for continuation of the traditional programs, today also praised funding for Food for Peace and the McGovern-Dole program.
“Both programs provide nations in need with assistance in the form of American-grown agricultural commodities, including in many cases, soybean meal and soy flour,” ASA said.
The group is a coalition of nonprofit organizations engaged in the delivery of food aid and development.
“The Alliance for Global Food Security commends the 2014 Consolidated Appropriations Bill for providing realistic budgets for international food aid programs and incorporating common-sense policies that will help ensure greater flexibility and effectiveness,” the group said in a news release.
In a further statement that could be interpreted as advice for the House and Senate Agriculture committees that are writing the farm bill and for appropriators in future years, the Alliance also said “The bill would serve well as a template for future food aid budget requests and legislation.”
“Importantly,” the Alliance continued, “the PL 480 and IDA [International Disaster Assistance] funds combined are $1.221 billion more than the Obama Administration’s FY 2014 budget request of no funds for PL 480 and $2.045 billion for IDA. For the many humanitarian crises that occur, as well as significant chronic hunger in areas that can easily become destabilized, sufficient funding for both PL 480 and IDA is required.”
Obama’s budget had proposed zeroing out funding for Food for Peace, shifting the funds to other development programs at USAID and ending the practice of monetization — the sale of food to raise funds for development purposes.
Other food aid and international development groups had praised Obama’s proposal to move jurisdiction to USAID and to end the practice of monetization, but had said that more money was needed than what Obama proposed.
The House Appropriations Committee also noted in a summary of the Agriculture section of the bill that they had not followed the president’s budget.
“The legislation contains $1.47 billion for “Food for Peace” grants, also known as the P.L. 480 – Title II program. This is $32 million above the fiscal year 2013 enacted level. The bill does not reflect the president’s budget request to move this program to the jurisdiction of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). In addition, the legislation provides $185.1 million for the McGovern-Dole International Food Program that uses donated U.S. commodities to support education, child development, and food security.”
The appropriators also direct USDA and USAID not to conduct a food aid reform study that was in the president’s budget.
Many of the Alliance’s members, which include ACDI/VOCA, Feed the Children and World Vision, sell commodities to finance their development activities. The Alliance also noted that the bill allows them to continue the practice, but also provides Title II funds for development activities “in countries where monetization is not a good option.”
The Alliance also noted that the bill provides $185 million for the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition, a level similar to 2013, and $1.8 billion in the Foreign Operations division for a variety of emergency purposes, including buying food locally or regionally and distributing cash to people in need.
Bread for the World, one of the groups that favored changes to the food aid programs, said in a news release, “This bill also includes a provision that slightly reforms our international food-aid program so that hundreds of thousands more people can be fed in time of need.”
The American Soybean Association, which along with other U.S. farm groups had called for continuation of the traditional programs, today also praised funding for Food for Peace and the McGovern-Dole program.
“Both programs provide nations in need with assistance in the form of American-grown agricultural commodities, including in many cases, soybean meal and soy flour,” ASA said.
