Farm Bill Important for Trade
Lorrie Boyer
Reporter
“Title Three is often called the trade title, and accounts for less than half a percentage of overall farm bill spending. Half of that goes to an aid program called Food for Peace, which uses US commodities to do capacity building, and the other half goes to export market development. These export market development programs have major bang for their buck. And a 2022 study found out, for every dollar spent on these programs, an additional $24.50 of agricultural exports resulted.”
Resnick says these programs benefit all of agriculture. Over 70 organizations representing different products were awarded grant funding in 2024.
“It's a hugely diverse mix of ranges, she says, From big commodities like corn and soy to smaller ones like hops, ginseng and cranberries. Using cranberries as an example, she says they are really only grown in North America, so export development dollars are used to educate consumers on how to incorporate them into their diet in culturally relevant ways. About 20% of all US ag production is exported overseas and is also $2 of domestic economic activity created for every dollar of ag export. So ag trade is important both for our sector and the economy at large.”