USDA Invests $466.5 Million in Global Food Security

The USDA announced a $466.5 million investment in food assistance and agricultural development, supporting school meals.Photo bySiegfried PoepperlonUnsplash

NEW YORK – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced today a $466.5 million investment aimed at enhancing global food security and agricultural development. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack made the announcement at the Clinton Global Initiative 2024 annual meeting.

The funding will be distributed through two of the USDA’s key international development programs: the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program and Food for Progress, according to Vilsack.

“The McGovern-Dole and Food for Progress programs are the embodiment of USDA’s multi-faceted approach to combatting hunger and poverty and addressing the effects of the climate crisis worldwide,” Vilsack said.

“Teaming up with both private- and public-sector partners, we’re not only providing direct food assistance, but also fostering sustainable agricultural productivity growth, promoting climate-smart agriculture and enhancing developing countries’ ability to engage in trade, which is critical to food security,” he added.

Of the total investment, $248 million in fiscal year 2024 funds will be allocated to the McGovern-Dole program to support projects in nine countries. These initiatives will provide essential school meals and boost literacy and primary education, particularly for girls.

Additionally, the USDA will allocate $218.5 million through Food for Progress to assist seven countries in strengthening their agricultural systems, adopting climate-smart technologies, increasing sustainable productivity, and expanding international trade.

Under both programs, the USDA purchases U.S.-grown commodities and distributes them to implementing organizations, such as the United Nations World Food Program.

Food for Progress partners sell the commodities locally and use the proceeds to fund local development projects. The McGovern-Dole program partners directly use the commodities in school feeding initiatives.

Of the $248 million McGovern-Dole allocation, $24 million will support local and regional procurement of commodities to supplement donated U.S. products, in line with the provisions of the 2018 Farm Bill, according to the USDA.

Through the McGovern-Dole Program, the United States will provide more than 37,000 metric tons of U.S. commodities to support projects in Angola, Bangladesh, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Guinea-Bissau, Laos, Malawi, and Rwanda, benefitting approximately 1.2 million children and their family members across 2,800 pre-primary and primary schools.

The Food for Progress projects this year will use 315,000 metric tons of U.S. commodities, ultimately benefitting nearly 200,000 farmers in Benin, Cambodia, Madagascar, Rwanda, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, and Tunisia.

These projects will focus on climate-smart agriculture, food security, sanitary and phytosanitary standards, access to capital, and trade facilitation.