WASHINGTON, DC – Earlier this month, Bobby Hanks, a Louisiana rice miller and chair of the USA Rice International Trade Policy Committee, joined representatives from the U.S. Wheat Associates, North American Millers’ Association, and the Seafarers International Union (AFL-CIO) as part of a stakeholder panel briefing for Congressional staff on “The Role of American Agriculture & Transportation in International Food Aid.”
The event was hosted by the lead co-sponsors of the American Farmers Feed the World Act of 2023, Representatives Rick Crawford (R-AR), Tracey Mann (R-KS), John Garamendi (D-CA), and Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) and showcased the value of U.S. commodity-based international food aid to those most in need globally.
The American Farmers Feed the World Act of 2023, which USA Rice has endorsed, would amend the Food for Peace Act and reform the way U.S. foreign assistance programs provide international food aid, refocusing historical food assistance provided by American farmers and allied businesses interests. Read more in the
USA Rice Daily, June 22, 2023.
Hanks highlighted that rice is the most widely consumed grain in the world, and the demand for and versatility of U.S.-grown rice allows for its use across international feeding programs that focus on emergency, economic development, and school feeding.
“U.S.-grown rice is used in all three major international assistance programs – the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food for Progress and McGovern-Dole Food for Education Program, and the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Title II Emergency Feeding program,” said Hanks. “In addition to being nutritious, rice has a long shelf life, is easy to prepare, fits into the diets of many different ethnic groups, and is one of the least allergenic foods, making it a perfect fit for assistance programs.”
Hanks also discussed newer nutritional improvements for U.S. rice used in these programs: “Over the last decade, USDA and USAID have sought to increase the amount of value-added nutritional foods made with U.S.-origin commodities for global food aid and nutritional programming. Fortified rice is one of those foods. Fortified rice is a ready-to-use food product that helps to address micronutrient deficiencies at a large scale.”
He added: “Over the past few years, the percentage of fortified rice versus regular milled rice for food aid has increased dramatically. In the federal government’s fiscal year (FY) 2022, fortified rice represented nearly 60 percent of the overall total. In FY 2023, 98 percent of rice used in international food assistance was fortified.”
Hanks underscored the USA Rice policy position on international food aid, particularly pushing back on those who wish to shift from commodity-based aid to cash or vouchers. Supporters of that movement encourage using U.S. taxpayer funding to purchase foreign-grown commodities to the detriment of the U.S. farmer.
USA Rice urges Congress to prioritize in-kind international food aid in the next Farm Bill.