Foreign Aid and USDA
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson. Who should run foreign food aid: the USDA or the State Department?
According to Senate Ag Chair John Boozman, USDA needs to lead foreign food aid programs and hopes to make the switch if he can pass a new farm bill.
Most foreign food aid was transferred to the State Department after President Trump largely dismantled USAID.
Now, Boozman wants Food for Peace and the McGovern-Dole program moved to USDA …
BOOZMAN … “That seems to be a much better fit, in the sense that, who knows better about agriculture and crops than USDA.”
Boozman wants to put the switch in his pending farm bill, but needs cooperation from other committees that oversee the State Department …
BOOZMAN … “We aren’t the committee of jurisdiction…we’re trying to get it moved into our committee. And, always, when you, you have committees that lose jurisdiction, sometimes that’s a little bit of a problem.”
But Boozman says other committee leaders are working on the issue, so he’s hopeful …
BOOZMAN … “The plan is for it to be in this legislation if we can come to an agreement. But I feel like we’re heading in that direction.”
Boozman says Food for Peace and McGovern Dole were set up not just to help fight hunger abroad, but to give US farmers additional markets and support prices, and argues the USDA is where that should happen.
