The North American Millers’ Association (NAMA) applauds the introduction of the bipartisan American Farmers Feed the World Act of 2023 by Senators Mike Braun (R-IN), Jon Tester (D-MT), Roger Marshall (R-KS), and Pete Ricketts (R-NE).
The use of American-grown commodities in international food aid has been a cornerstone of U.S. foreign assistance programs for decades. However, over time these proven programs have shifted to cash vouchers and purchasing commodities from international competitors.
The American Farmers Feed the World Act would allow the Food for Peace program to feed millions more people impacted by famine emergencies at no additional cost to the U.S. taxpayer. The legislation “puts the food back into food aid” by restoring Food for Peace to its roots as a purely in-kind commodity donation program and requiring that at least half of all Food for Peace funds be used to purchase American commodities and ship them overseas, minimizing administrative costs.
The bill would also end the practice of using American taxpayer dollars to purchase commodities from U.S. agricultural competitors and the use of cash vouchers. These changes will allow Food for Peace to reach millions more beneficiaries. Further, it simplifies the release mechanism in the Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust so that it can be used efficiently and effectively, as intended, reducing any delay in reaching hungry people.
“American farmers have played a critical role in reducing hunger overseas for decades. The bipartisan American Farmers Feed the World Act would ensure that American-grown food is prioritized over foreign competitors for American aid programs around the world. It will also allow for more efficient use of funding so we can feed even more hungry people without any additional taxpayer dollars,” said Senator Mike Braun.
"NAMA thanks Senators Braun, Tester, Marshall, and Ricketts for their leadership in pursuing these long-overdue reforms to Food for Peace and the Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust that will restore these critical, life-saving programs to their roots of being accountable in-kind donation programs that alleviate world hunger with American-grown commodities, including milled products.” said NAMA senior director of government affairs, Kim Cooper. “The American Farmers Feed the World Act will allow the U.S. to feed millions more people affected by famine emergencies without spending any additional American taxpayer dollars.”
This legislation was also introduced in the House of Representatives in June 2023 by Representatives Tracey Mann (R-KS), John Garamendi (D-CA), Rick Crawford (R-AR), and Jimmy Panetta (D-CA). The next farm bill reauthorization provides a critical opportunity for action on this issue.
For more information, visit www.namamillers.org.