Feeding hungry people is a driving motivation for many agricultural producers. The U.S. wheat industry is a champion of food aid programs that allow our high-quality wheat to reach those who otherwise would likely go without.

U.S. government food aid is distributed by private voluntary organizations around the world. A broad spectrum of American society participates in the giving and handling of food aid, including the farming, processing, transportation and distribution industries. By using American-grown food in food aid, American hands and American infrastructure are involved throughout the entire operation, and we can ensure and stand by the quality of the food that is delivered.

Keep the Food in Food Aid

NAWG and U.S. Wheat Associates support in-kind food aid and believe that any use of local and regional procurement should not detract from our ability to respond to emergency needs with in-kind food aid.

Policy Priorities

NAWG supports the following policy priorities with respect to food aid, also recommended by the U.S. Wheat Associates Food Aid Working Group:

• NAWG urges the U.S. government to provide a minimum of six million metric tons (MMT) of food aid annually, of which three MMT should be wheat.
• NAWG will work with the U.S. officials to protect U.S. food aid programs in the Doha Round of World Trade Organization negotiations.
• NAWG opposes withholding food aid for political purposes.
• NAWG opposes the release of reserves from the Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust without full and immediate public disclosure and timely replacement of released stocks.

Food Aid Funding

NAWG is a key champion of food aid funding in the federal budget. NAWG works with coalition partners inside and outside the agricultural community to ensure proper funding for programs including PL-480, Title II, or Food for Peace; the McGovern-Dole program; the Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust; and appropriate development programs run through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).