Bags of partially-defatted soybean flour bound for Burkina Faso.

As part of a coalition of trade, nonprofit and agriculture groups, ASAjoined in a letter to lawmakers this week urging the protection of America’s in-kind food aid program in upcoming conference negotiations on the farm bill. ASA has consistently opposed the White House’s plan to replace a portion of foreign food aid with cash.

“We do not support provisions that deviate significantly from the current transparency and structure of those programs by allowing the use of PL 480 Title II and Food for Progress funds to pay the costs of unspecified ‘activities’ conducted in recipient countries; decreasing the minimum funding level for non-emergency (developmental) Title II programs; and capping the amount of funds that can be spent on developmental programs,” the groups stated in the letter.

“Keeping U.S. commodities the differentiating characteristic of these programs has been the touchstone of their success, and we believe that proven approach paves the way for a sustainable future. U.S. food aid programs provide a reliable pipeline of commodities and nutritionally-fortified foods to developing countries to meet emergency needs and for multi-year programs that help people overcome chronic hunger. USDA’s Economic Research Service estimates that over the next decade there will be an annual food gap of 15 million metric tons to meet minimum caloric needs in 76 food insecure countries (June 2013). Countries with food shortfalls and high levels of malnutrition need imported food aid because local supplies are limited.”

A full copy of the letter is available here.

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