USDA 2012 Food Assistance Programs to Benefit Nearly 10 Million Worldwide
"These two international food assistance programs are important tools in the U.S. effort to support global food security and sustainable agriculture production through President Obamas Feed the Future Initiative," said Michael Scuse, Acting Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services. "With the worlds population expected to top 9.3 billion by 2050, these programs lay the foundation on which food-insecure nations can meet the needs of their citizens and build more vibrant economies."
Under the programs, USDA purchases U.S. commodities and donates them to government agencies and private-voluntary organizations in targeted countries. Food for Progress recipients in developing countries and emerging democracies sell the commodities and use the funds to introduce and expand free enterprise in the agricultural sector. For example, a past Food for Progress program in Bangladesh trained farmers to develop prawn nurseries, which generated more than $1 million in farmer income over two years. The McGovern-Dole Program focuses on low-income, food-deficit countries that are committed to universal education. Participants either use or sell the donated U.S. commodities to support education, child development, and food security. For example, in Mali, more than 45,000 children and adults in 120 schools have been fed by Catholic Relief Services with help from the program.
The commodities USDA is donating include U.S.-produced corn-soy blend, cornmeal, dehydrated potato flakes, dried beans, lentils, rice, sorghum, soy oil, soybeans, soybean meal, vegetable oil and wheat.
USDAs Foreign Agricultural Service administers both the Food for Progress and McGovern-Dole programs. More information can be found at: http://www.fas.usda.gov/food-aid.asp.
USDAs food aid programs contribute to the goals of President Obamas global hunger and food security initiative, Feed the Future. Feed the Future is part of a multilateral effort launched at the LAquila World Summit on Food Security in 2009 to accelerate progress toward the Millennium Development Goal of halving the proportion of people living in extreme poverty and suffering from hunger by 2015. More information on Feed the Future can be found at: http://www.feedthefuture.gov.
Food for Progress: Fiscal Year 2012 Allocations
Country
Participant
Potential
Beneficiaries
Estimated
Value*
El Salvador
FINCA International
270,000
$11,000,000
Guatemala
Counterpart International
70,000
$7,500,000
Honduras
TechnoServe
550,000
$12,000,000
Mali
Aga Khan Foundation
710,000
$24,000,000
Mongolia
Mercy Corps
140,000
$6,800,000
Mozambique
Land OLakes
970,000
$22,000,000
Nicaragua
TechnoServe
270,000
$9,500,000
Nicaragua
Catholic Relief Services
1,490,000
$20,300,000
Senegal
International Relief and Development
1,560,000
$14,800,000
Senegal
Shelter for Life
20,000
$14,800,000
Tanzania
Catholic Relief Services
900,000
$15,300,000 TOTAL 6,950,000
* includes shipping and freight costs McGovern-Dole Program: Fiscal Year 2012 Allocations Country Participant Potential Beneficiaries Estimated Value*
Afghanistan
World Vision
80,000
$16,600,000
Cambodia
International Relief and Development
30,000
$6,900,000
Cameroon
Counterpart International
120,000
$16,400,000
Ethiopia
World Food Program
240,000
$26,500,000
Haiti
World Food Program
300,000
$8,000,000
Honduras
Catholic Relief Services
50,000
$16,000,000
Kenya
World Food Program
700,000
$9,700,000
Kyrgyzstan
Mercy Corps
70,000
$10,900,000
Laos
Catholic Relief Services
30,000
$12,000,000
Liberia
World Food Program
340,000
$6,400,000
Malawi
World Food Program
340,000
$8,300,000
Nepal
World Food Program
210,000
$6,000,000
Mozambique
Planet Aid
70,000
$20,000,000
Mozambique
World Vision
110,000
$20,000,000
Senegal
Counterpart International
30,000
$11,200,000
Sierra Leone
Catholic Relief Services
30,000
$10,800,000 TOTAL
* includes shipping and freight costs
