World Food Programme and Kansas Food Aid Legacy

Floor Speech

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Mr. MANN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank the American farmer and to deliver the 15th installment of my farm bill impact series.

The United States is the most food-secure country in the world thanks to the strength and determination of American farmers, ranchers, and agriculture producers. With America's robust resources, we have been committed to ensuring food security at home and around the world, and Kansas has been on the cutting edge of that effort for nearly a century.

In September of 1953, Peter O'Brien, a farmer from Cheyenne County, Kansas, stood up at his local county farm bureau meeting to share an idea. He wanted to use Kansas grain to help hungry people around the world. Over the next several months, today's Food for Peace program was crafted. The following year, one of Kansas' favorite sons, President Dwight D. Eisenhower, signed parts of the program into law. That was the beginning of what is now a longstanding Kansas tradition of commitment, care, and leadership in the international effort to address global hunger.

Two weeks ago, I hosted David Beasley, the executive director of the World Food Programme, in Kansas for an event to thank the American farmer. Executive Director Beasley had just been in Egypt, Ethiopia, and Rome, but he came to Kansas because he understands the impact that farmers in my State have had on international food aid. American farmers use their resources to feed, fuel, and clothe the world, which is no small task. It takes grit, determination, and a strong partnership between the public and private sectors. The World Food Programme won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020, and it is the world's largest humanitarian organization specializing in using American-grown commodities for international food assistance. It is a great example of what we can accomplish when public-private partnerships thrive.

Now, with the 2023 reauthorization of the farm bill upon us, we see that the Kansas legacy of international food aid is alive and well. Today, our country administers in-kind food assistance primarily through farm bill programs, such as the Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust and the McGovern-Dole Food for Education Program, just to name two. These programs have an especially strong return on investment because they support American agriculture producers today while greatly reducing the need for conflict or war-related dollars tomorrow. In the long run, these programs save the American taxpayer money. We know that when food rations are accessible in developing countries, conflict decreases. International food aid is, therefore, a way to stop wars before they start.

I have the privilege and responsibility of advocating for Kansas' top priorities in the farm bill. That means protecting crop insurance, promoting trade, and ensuring that any oversight within the bill doesn't needlessly handcuff American producers with red tape. Congress must also ensure that international food aid programs remain strong in the farm bill. Around the world today, hungry people facing starvation in emergency situations rely on American farmers, who have provided nutrition in the place of starvation, created careers of dignity in the place of aimlessness, and secured peace in the place of war.

I will be back on the floor soon to deliver another installment of my farm bill impact series and highlight more programs and titles within the bill that I believe Congress must understand and support to ensure that agriculture thrives in America. The people who feed, fuel, and clothe us all deserve our unwavering support.

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