Fortified rice is key commodity for international school feeding programs (M. Stuhlman photo)
Jan 25, 2023
WASHINGTON, DC – Yesterday, the Food Aid Consultative Group (FACG) held its biannual meeting here to discuss international food assistance program developments, growing areas of need, and future collaborative efforts. The FACG is a public-private forum mandated in the Farm Bill to provide a platform for U.S. government agencies to interact with private sector counterparts including private voluntary organizations (PVOs), agricultural trade groups, and maritime interests, on food assistance priorities.
Presentations given by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) provided an overview of the global food security situation and their respective programs in international humanitarian assistance. The ongoing confluence of climate shocks and human conflict continue to exacerbate need and leave more people vulnerable in several regions of the world. Particularly effected is the Horn of Africa, where the need for food assistance has increased 160 percent over the past five years, in large part due to severe drought, but now also from the impact of the war in Ukraine.
New initiatives being undertaken by both agencies were discussed, including the Joint Initiative for Sustainable Humanitarian Assistance Packaging Waste Management and recommendations on how to better deal with food commodity infestation.
USDA also announced their priority countries for FY2023 McGovern-Dole awards, which include Cameroon, Haiti, Mozambique, Nepal, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, and Togo. Fortified rice will once again be the most programmed commodity for international school feeding programs in 2023.
“The FACG offers a unique opportunity for all sides of the international food assistance network – government, private volunteer organizations, and commodity groups – to come together to discuss recent successes and upcoming challenges,” said Jesica Kincaid, USA Rice senior manager for international trade policy. “With continued and growing need around the world, rice looks to play a major role once again in the fight against global hunger and malnutrition.”