USDBC Expresses Strong Opposition to Proposed Cuts to Foreign Aid

April 6, 2017
Posted in: News

The Honorable Mick Mulvaney Director
Office of Management and Budget
Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20503

Dear Director Mulvaney:

The United States has a long history of leadership in the international fight against global hunger. The United States commitment to alleviate hunger and increase global food security not only reduces suffering but helps build a safer world. Programs such as the P.L. 480 Food for Peace (Food for Peace) program as well as the McGovern Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition program are centerpieces of the United States commitment to providing nutrition assistance and food aid relief to needy women, children and families. Given the immense need and success of these programs the U.S. Dry Bean Council is both disappointed and concerned with the Trump Administrations Fiscal Year 2018 Budget request which seeks to significantly reduce the Food for Peace program and to eliminate the McGovern Dole Food for Education program. We urge you to reconsider these drastic cuts which could irreparably harm the U.S. standing as the global leader in responding to food crises.

The Food for Peace program has been a critical foreign policy tool, reaching over 3 billion people since its inception over six decades ago. Food for Peace emergency programs save tens of millions of lives each year. During an emergency, U.S.-sourced commodities serve as a core component of humanitarian relief along with other forms of flexible food assistance.

The McGovern–Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program helps support education, child development and food security in low-income, food-deficit countries around the globe. The program provides for the donation of U.S. agricultural commodities, as well as financial and technical assistance, to support school feeding and maternal and child nutrition projects. These projects all have as their goal, to attain sustainability so that when the program ends, the target nations will be in a better position to feed their children and ensure their ability to become productive members of society.

The Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) FY18 Budget proposal would undercut these vital programs and lead to an increase in food insecurity and human suffering at a time when these programs are needed more than ever. Food insecurity is a catalyst for geopolitical instability and has an impact beyond the immediate target population.

In February of this year, famine levels of food insecurity were declared in South Sudan. The countries of Nigeria, Somalia and Yemen are also facing the potential risk of famine level _______________________________________________________________________ US DRY BEAN COUNCIL 1161 NW OVERTON ST. #202 PORTLAND, OR 97209 202.492.0522

conditions. The U.S. Aid International Development agency (USAID) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have already expressed concern over their ability to delegate enough resources to these emerging crises. Resources for these emergencies will be on top of ongoing conflicts, weather related crises and economic instability which are driving food insecurity threats around the world. In total, this could result in an estimated 70 million people across 45 countries needing emergency assistance in 2017.

Food for Peace and the McGovern Dole Food for Education programs have been and will continue to be critical programs for combating global hunger and malnutrition on emergency and development situations. We urge OMB and the Administration to support full funding of these programs as we enter a year rife with famine and food insecurity.

Sincerely,

Rebecca Bratter Executive Director US Dry Bean Council