Session 3: International discussions on US Food Aid

1
Session 3International discussions on US Food
Aid

• The Impact of International Discussions on US
  Food Aid
• Focused heavily on the impact of trade
  negotiations and parallel changes.
• Most likely outcomes
• - rollback of monetization
• - rollback of subsidized credit food aid (Title
  I)
• - but uncertain whether there will be any
  agreement at all
• Possible but not likely outcome
• threat to development food aid more generally
  (non-emergency Title II, Food for Progress, IFEP,
  etc.)
• General concern
• overly narrow definition of what constitutes an
  emergency (who defines the safe box)?

2
Session 3International discussions on US Food
Aid

• Likely impacts
• end of monetization would narrow the field of NGO
  players in food aid.
• possible reduced coverage and quality of
  development programming?
• -reduced development food aid and monetization
  diminished PVO/WFP capacity to respond to
  emergencies in countries that only have
  development food aid programs,because of
  interruptions in field presence
• -less likely to need supplemental appropriations
  for emergency food aid appropriations (and
  tapping BEHT), but not likely to get more money,
  just quicker response.
• -possible bureaucratic realignment of US food aid
• -PVO/development community may need to become
  more vocal in advocacy and adapt messages because
  they might not have as many traditional allies
  from commercial agriculture and shipping
  industries.
• -uncertainty about value of grass-roots advocacy
  efforts

3
Session 3International discussions on US Food
Aid

• Actions
• Need to consider alternative fora/mediation for
  reconciling EU-US differences (e.g., Brazil,
  etc.).
• Build March 6 statement of African/LDC
  statements.
• Develop mechanism/authority for local purchases
• Authorize USDA, on periodic basis, touse global
  tenders (i.e., fully untied aid)? Implication
  for pushing Europeans?
• Cut a deal with farm groups regarding local
  purchases in next Farm Bill?