U.S. & Canada Pledge Increased Food Aid

Government leaders in both the United States and Canada are promising increased levels of food aid to developing nations in response to recent shortages.

On Thursday, U.S. President George W. Bush urged Congress to to approve $770 million in new global food aid, starting in October. About half of the money would be used toward direct food assistance, with the remainder supporting agricultural development and other programs facilitated by the U.S. Agency for International Development. These funds are in addition to $200 million in emergency wheat reserves that the administration pledged to donate two weeks ago.

In Canada, $50 million in extra food assistance will go to the United Nations World Food Program and the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, including $10 million earmarked for Haiti. This is an increase of 28% over the previous commitment, bringing Canada's total international food aid to $230 million. International Co-operation Minister Beverly Oda noted that while the Canadian International Development Agency is constantly monitoring the need for humanitarian food aid, "conditions are so perilous that some predict we run the risk of reversing past development progress. This is a challenge we must all meet as part of the global community."

Perhaps the most striking aspect of these pledges is that both governments have untied some of the strings that are normally attached to food aid. Instead of requiring that all food assistance be grown in and transported by the donor country, both the U.S. and Canada will use a portion of the aid money to purchase food within the countries where it is needed. They will also fund development programs that increase the capacity of struggling nations to produce their own food in sustainable ways.

Many international aid groups, including International Child Care, are applauding the governments' decisions to loosen restrictions on food aid in order to provide more efficient and effective help. "It's not enough to get food out the door," said Gerry Barr, president of the Canadian Council for International Co-operation. "We also need to get food in the ground. And that calls for a longer-term strategy, not just a response to the current crisis."

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has set up a task force in response to what the World Food Program has dubbed the "silent tsunami" of rising food costs. He emphasized the importance of supporting local farmers in countries affected by the crisis, and plans to implement a $1.7 billion program to help countries with a food deficit purchase seeds.

International Child Care works in partnership with the Canadian International Development Agency and the U.S. Agency for International Development to provide health and nutrition programs to people in Haiti. ICC promotes principles of sustainable development in order to bring about positive change. For more information on our programs or how you can help, explore our website or contact us.