Support Africa -Change U.S. food aid policy
Dear President Obama, Secretary of State Clinton, Secretary of Agriculture Vilsack, USAID Administrator Fulgham and Representatives and Senators,
The United States of America has a long history of giving aid to African nations in various forms. A bulk of this aid has been given in the form of food aid from U.S. farmers and transported on U.S. carriers. We the undersigned believe that this strategy not only is ineffective in reducing hunger and poverty but is often harmful to African agriculture markets and should be changed.
We the Undersigned request that USAID food aid be delivered in the form of food purchased from within the recipient African country. If the country receiving the food aid is not able to produce the needed food, then food should be purchased from neighboring countries that have a food surplus. The costs of growing and transporting U.S. grain can be reallocated towards greater purchase of food in the recipient country or put toward other areas of development particularly those that strengthen local agriculture.
We believe that the age of allocating aid dollars towards a strategy that has proven to be ineffective is over. The time is now to promote real change in Africa and that means supporting African farmers and African agriculture markets through local purchase of food aid.
Thank you for your time and commitment towards change,
Dear President Obama, Secretary of State Clinton, Secretary of Agriculture Vilsack, USAID Administrator Fulgham and Representatives and Senators,
The United States of America has a long history of giving aid to African nations in various forms. A bulk of this aid has been given in the form of food aid from U.S. farmers and transported on U.S. carriers. We the undersigned believe that this strategy not only is ineffective in reducing hunger and poverty but is often harmful to African agriculture markets and should be changed.
We the Undersigned request that USAID food aid be delivered in the form of food purchased from within the recipient African country. If the country receiving the food aid is not able to produce the needed food, then food should be purchased from neighboring countries that have a food surplus. The costs of growing and transporting U.S. grain can be reallocated towards greater purchase of food in the recipient country or put toward other areas of development particularly those that strengthen local agriculture.
We believe that the age of allocating aid dollars towards a strategy that has proven to be ineffective is over. The time is now to promote real change in Africa and that means supporting African farmers and African agriculture markets through local purchase of food aid.
Thank you for your time and commitment towards change,
