USA Rice, coalition groups oppose administration’s food aid proposals
Apr 1, 2008 10:14 AM
A coalition of 34 organizations, including USA Rice Federation, urged congressional farm bill leaders to reject the Bush administration’s farm bill food aid proposals because they “would ultimately drive down the amount of food aid provided by the United States even further and threaten to weaken longstanding public support for food aid.”
The coalition urged support for “important changes that will assure higher...more predictable levels” for chronic and emergency needs.
House and Senate farm bill provisions would assure higher, more predictable food aid, they said, including assurances that P.L. 480 Title II donations would be available to meet chronic development needs in recipient countries, greater use of overseas prepositioning of U.S. food aid, and clarification that the Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust, an emergency response program, can be used as an early response resource during an emergency.
The coalition opposed the administration’s proposal to use up to 25 percent of Title II funds to buy food aid overseas to respond to emergencies.
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