Letter to the Honorable Thomas Vilsack, Secretary of the Department of Agriculture and the Honorable Gayle Smith, Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development - Call to Prioritize Wheat Shipments in Food Aid
Letter
Dear Secretary Vilsack and Administrator Smith:
Thank you for your leadership in administering our nation's food aid programs. The United States leads the world in the fight against global hunger, contributing nearly half of all in-kind donations to food insecure nations. Our country's food aid programs embody the inherent generosity of the American people.
The U.S. wheat industry has a long and successful history of partnering with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and private humanitarian organizations in helping to reduce global hunger. Wheat is the most consumed commodity worldwide, making up 20 percent of the calories and 20 percent of the protein consumed by the world's poorest. Approximately 600,000 metric tons of wheat were donated through U.S. food aid during the most recent marketing year.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2016 directly supported U.S. food aid efforts by providing a significant increase in funding for the delivery of food aid to populations in need. The Senate FY2017 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill continues our strong support for food aid by providing additional funding for the Food for Peace program and maintaining elevated funding levels for the McGovern-Dole Food For Education Program.
Following a historic wheat harvest in Kansas and other states, there is a surplus of high quality wheat available on the market. The current abundance of wheat stocks offers an opportunity to provide even greater assistance to those in need through increased shipments of wheat. During the procurement process for in-kind commodity donations in the future, I encourage you to prioritize the utilization of wheat to help those in need.
Thank you for your consideration of this request, and once again, for your leadership in making U.S. food aid a source of pride for Americans.
Yours truly,
Source