Food for the Hungry Asks Obama to Protect Life-Saving International Food Aid
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Con ta ct : Eile en O’Gor man FOR I MMEDI ATE REL EA SE Phone: (o) 480-609-7759 (c) 314-323-4979 Em a il: e ogorm a n@fh.org Food for the Hung ry Asks Obam a to Prote ct L ife-Sa ving I nte rnationa l F oo d Aid Benefits of food aid include effective programs abroad and jobs at home PHOENI X (April 4, 20 13 ) – Ci ting de ca de s of su ccess ful progra ms, Food for theHungry (FH) is one of 71 organizations urging the Obama administration to support continued funding for U.S. food aid abroad. Twenty-one se na tors ha ve a lso signed a bi pa rtisa n let ter a sking th e a dm ini stra tion to susta in f und ing for Food f or Pea ce (PL 480 ) and Food for Progress. Th e 7 1 -mem b e r coa lit io n sent a le t t er t o Pr es id ent Ob ama sta t in g t h a t “ fo o d a id p r og r ams h a v e en jo ye d s t r ong bipa rti sa n sup port for nea rl y 60 yea rs beca use they work.” I t ad ds, “Our country has the large st a nd m ost di verse, reli ab le a nd e ffect ive f ood a ssistan ce p rogram in the world. Food f or Pea ce a nd Food for Progres s form th e ba ckbone of those efforts.” David Evans, U.S. President of Food for the Hungry, spoke about proposed cuts to food aid saying, “Food for Peace an d Food for Progres s are p roven progra m s for addre ssing globa l f ood inse curity. Thi s is ab out m uch m ore tha n ha ndouts an d more tha n ‘giving a person a fish.’ Thes e p rograms ‘tea ch pe ople how to f ish.’ And th ey ha ve a track record of proven results.” USAI D reporte d tha t Food for Pea ce in Ethiopi a, wh ich FH im pl em en ts, he lp 7 .6 m illion avoid se vere hun ge r duri ng the recent food crisis. This translates to $100 million dollars saved in emergency food aid. Since 2 008 , FH ha s se rved m ore tha n 675 ,000 pe opl e l iving i n extre m e po verty in D.R. Congo , Suda n, Mozam bi que , Ethiopia and Bolivia through food aid programs. The programs include—but also go far beyond—supplying grain and vegetable oil for vulnerable populations. Th e p r og r ams use st r ategies such as “ fo od fo r w or k .” Beneficia r ies take pa r t in ac t ivities such as t e r racing hillsides t o increase lan d f or l oca l food produ ction a nd a re pa id with U.S. com m oditi es s uch a s gra in tha t are in chronic short supply locally. This helps families in the developing world to make it through annual “hungry seasons” while building the ability for communities to become self-sufficient and produce food locally. Th e sena t or s ’ le tter t o Pr es id ent Ob ama po in te d out t h a t Am e r ic an ag r ic u lt u r e is one o f t h e fe w U. S . b us in e s s sec t o r s to produce a trade surplus, exporting $1 08 bil lion in f arm goods i n 20 10 a nd s ugge st continue d sup port for an area of the U.S. economy that is growing. “Over 60 years of participating in international food aid, the U.S. has developed a pipeline for U.S. commodity shipm en ts wh ich wou ld b e at risk if food aid en de d,” Evans s aid. “More p eo pl e will be hun gry if this infrastructure is dism antled.” FH acknowledges the national security benefits of food aid, as well. “Bags of grain and cans of cooking oil are shipped all over the world through the se program s,” Evans s ai d. “I have wal ked i nto som e of the m ost rem ote com m uni ties im ag ina bl e a nd se en , lying the re be fore m e, an a lum inumcan with an Am eri can flag p ainted o n its side. Thi s is how we e xpres s our good will a s a cou ntry to those in nee d. We bu ild pe ace ful bridge s while e m powe ring vulnera bl e people to overcomepoverty.” ### Founde d in 19 71, Food for the Hungry pr ovi de s e m e rge ncy relief and long-te rm de ve lopm en t pr ogram s in m ore than 20 countries to help the world's most vulnerable people. Learn more by visiting www.fh.org . Social connections include www.facebook.com/foodforthehungryand ww w.twi tte r.com /food4th eh ungry .
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Transcript of Food for the Hungry Asks Obama to Protect Life-Saving International Food Aid
7/28/2019 Food for the Hungry Asks Obama to Protect Life-Saving International Food Aid
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Contact: Eileen O’Gorman FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Phone: (o) 480-609-7759 (c) 314-323-4979 Email: [email protected]
Food for the Hungry Asks Obama to Protect Life-Saving International Food AidBenefits of food aid include effective programs abroad and jobs at home
PHOENIX (April 4, 2013) – Citing decades of successful programs, Food for the Hungry (FH) is one of 71organizations urging the Obama administration to support continued funding for U.S. food aid abroad. Twenty-onesenators have also signed a bipartisan letter asking the administration to sustain funding for Food for Peace (PL 480)and Food for Progress.
The 71-member coalition sent a letter to President Obama stating that “food aid programs have enjoyed strongbipartisan support for nearly 60 years because they work.” It adds, “Our country has the largest and most diverse,reliable and effective food assistance program in the world. Food for Peace and Food for Progress form the backboneof those efforts.”
David Evans, U.S. President of Food for the Hungry, spoke about proposed cuts to food aid saying, “Food for Peaceand Food for Progress are proven programs for addressing global food insecurity. This is about much more thanhandouts and more than ‘giving a person a fish.’ These programs ‘teach people how to fish.’ And they have a trackrecord of proven results.”
USAID reported that Food for Peace in Ethiopia, which FH implements, help 7.6 million avoid severe hunger duringthe recent food crisis. This translates to $100 million dollars saved in emergency food aid.
Since 2008, FH has served more than 675,000 people living in extreme poverty in D.R. Congo, Sudan, Mozambique,Ethiopia and Bolivia through food aid programs. The programs include—but also go far beyond—supplying grain andvegetable oil for vulnerable populations.
The programs use strategies such as “food for work.” Beneficiaries take part in activities such as terracing hillsides toincrease land for local food production and are paid with U.S. commodities such as grain that are in chronic shortsupply locally. This helps families in the developing world to make it through annual “hungry seasons” while buildingthe ability for communities to become self-sufficient and produce food locally.
The senators’ letter to President Obama pointed out that American agriculture is one of the few U.S. business sectorsto produce a trade surplus, exporting $108 billion in farm goods in 2010 and suggest continued support for an area of the U.S. economy that is growing.
“Over 60 years of participating in international food aid, the U.S. has developed a pipeline for U.S. commodityshipments which would be at risk if food aid ended,” Evans said. “More people will be hungry if this infrastructure is
dismantled.”
FH acknowledges the national security benefits of food aid, as well. “Bags of grain and cans of cooking oil are shippedall over the world through these programs,” Evans said. “I have walked into some of the most remote communitiesimaginable and seen, lying there before me, an aluminum can with an American flag painted on its side. This is howwe express our good will as a country to those in need. We build peaceful bridges while empowering vulnerablepeople to overcome poverty.”
###Founded in 1971, Food for the Hungry provides emergency relief and long-term development programs in more
than 20 countries to help the world's most vulnerable people. Learn more by visiting www.fh.org. Socialconnections includewww.facebook.com/foodforthehungryandwww.twitter.com/food4thehungry.
