Global Hunger in the FY2010 Budget
Agriculture Appropriations (H.R. 2997, S. 1406)
($ in thousands)
P.L. 480 Title II
Named after the original law that created the program during the 1950s, P.L. 480 Title II is the primary U.S. government source of humanitarian food assistance used to respond to global emergencies, such as the ongoing conflict in Darfur, as well as chronic hunger and famine. Most of the assistance provided through this program comes in the form of U.S. commodity donations. Some funding is used for non-emergency feeding and development programs. FY2009 Budget 1,225,900 FY2009 Supps. 1,095,000* FY2009 Total 2,320,900 FY2010 Request 1,690,000 FY2010 House 1,690,000 FY2010 Senate 1,690,000
*Includes FY09 Bridge Supplemental and FY09 Spring Supplemental
Currently both the House and Senate are fully funding the President’s request, which is almost $500 million more than the original FY2009 budget request. However, without a supplemental in FY2010, funding for this account will fall about $630 million short of total FY2009 funding. If emergency needs remain at current levels, this could result in a funding shortfall for humanitarian operations during 2010.
The McGovern–Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program
Established in 2002, the McGovern-Dole program is named after former Sens. George McGovern (D-S.D.) and Bob Dole (R-Kan.), who worked on a bipartisan basis over their careers to eliminate hunger at home and abroad. The McGovern– Dole Program helps support education, child development and food security for some of the world’s poorest children by providing school meals through donations of U.S. agricultural products in low-income, food-deficit countries that are committed to universal education. The program also provides financial and technical assistance for school feeding and maternal and child nutrition projects. FY2009 Budget 100,000 FY2009 Total 184,000* FY2010 Request 199,500 FY2010 House 199,500 FY2010 Senate 199,500
*A onetime allocation of $84 million was made in the 2009 Farm Bill for McGovern-Dole bringing the total for FY2009 to $184 million, but regular annual appropriations for the account have been near $100 million from FY2006 through FY2009.
Currently both the House and Senate are fully funding the president’s request, which is double the resources provided through annual funding over the last several years. There are currently over 66 million children worldwide who attend school hungry and at current funding levels the McGovern-Dole program is able to reach roughly 4 million of these children.
Friends of the World Food Program
Updated 8/13/2009
2
State and Foreign Operations Appropriations (H.R. 3081, S. 1434)
($ in thousands)
Development Assistance (DA)
This is one of the primary U.S. government funding sources focused on addressing international hunger and poverty at their roots, through interventions that promote economic growth, democratic governance, agricultural development and education. Agricultural development programs improve farm practices and productivity, while enhancing market opportunities for farmers. Because more than 70 percent of poor people live in rural areas and rely on agriculture for food and income, supporting small farmers is crucial to addressing long-term global hunger. FY2009 Budget 1,800,000 FY2009 Supps. 200,000 FY2009 Total 2,000,000 FY2010 Request 2,733,803 FY2010 House 2,465,000 FY2010 Senate 2,567,000
Agricultural Development within DA FY2009 Total 375,000 FY2010 Request 1,360,000 FY2010 House 1,000,000 FY2010 Senate 1,200,000*
*The total Senate number is $1.5 billion for agriculture and global food security but this includes $300 million for local and regional procurement (LRP) of food aid. The president’s request also included $300 million for LRP but recommended that the funding be provided through International Development Assistance (IDA).
At the April 2009 G-20 meeting in London, President Obama announced increased funding for agricultural development as part of a forthcoming global food security initiative. His FY2010 budget request included $1.36 billion to support agricultural development as part of the initiative. The House has included $1 billion and the Senate has included $1.2 billion in agricultural development funding.
International Disaster Assistance (IDA)
This is the primary U.S. government cash funding source for global emergency needs. Specific interventions funded by IDA include clean water, sanitation, medical supplies, agricultural inputs (e.g. seeds and tools) and cash for work efforts to rebuild infrastructure damaged during disasters. Funding available through this program has been used recently to increase the local and regional procurement (LRP) of commodities1. As long as markets are stable, supply is plentiful and other conditions are met, purchasing commodities in the country or region where they are to be used is a viable option to reduce transportation costs and to enable assistance to reach beneficiaries more quickly. FY2009 Budget 350,000 FY2009 Supps. 470,000 FY2009 Total 820,000 FY2010 Request 880,000 FY2010 House 830,000 FY2010 Senate 855,000
The president’s request indicated that $300 million should be used from this account for local and regional procurement1 (LRP) of food aid and other cash-based emergency food assistance. The House included $200 million for LRP under IDA while the Senate included $300 million for LRP under DA. Funding for agricultural development and food security is also provided through the Economic Support Fund (ESF), which advances U.S. interests by helping countries overcome political, economic and security hurdles. The FY2009 Supplemental Appropriations Act included $256 million in ESF resources for social safety net programs and other assistance for vulnerable populations in developing countries affected by the global economic crisis. Other accounts with some funding for global hunger and agriculture initiatives include Assistance for Europe, Eurasia and Central Asia (AEECA) and Transition Initiatives (TI).
1
See LRP information box on page 3 for more information.
Friends of the World Food Program
Updated 8/13/2009
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Local and Regional Procurement of Food Assistance
The U.S. government has only recently begun providing funding for the local and regional procurement of emergency food assistance, the provision of vouchers and other forms of cash-based emergency assistance. The funding has been provided through the following bills and accounts:
FY2009
$75 million IDA $50 million DA $75 million DA $5 million CCC Total for FY2009: $205 million FY08-FY09 Bridge Supplemental (July ’08) FY08-FY09 Bridge Supplemental (July ’08) FY09 Omnibus (March ’09) LRP Pilot Project in the 2008 Farm Bill
FY2010
$300 million IDA President’s request in State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill $200 million IDA House version of State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill $300 million DA Senate version of State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill $25 million CCC LRP Pilot Project in the 2008 Farm Bill Total projected for FY2010: $225 - $325 million
Friends of the World Food Program
Updated 8/13/2009