“USDA will also award $225 million in international development projects under the Food for Progress Program to help improve agricultural productivity and expand trade of agricultural products,” added Vilsack. “Food for Progress projects play a critical role in helping combat food insecurity by helping boost production capacity and expand global climate-smart agriculture adaptation.”
This year’s Food for Progress Program will invest in projects in Bangladesh, Cote d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Lesotho, Mauritania, Nepal, and Togo.
As renowned food security programs in the international community, USDA works continuously to monitor and ensure the success of the programs, all while balancing funding allocations with current global nutrition needs.
Last year, for example, Burundi became the newest participant in both the McGovern-Dole and the Food for Progress Programs. With McGovern-Dole investment, more than 6,000 metric tons of U.S. commodities and 2,000 metric tons of locally produced commodities will provide daily school meals and literacy programming for more than 80,000 children.
And with funding through the Food for Progress Program, the Burundi Better Coffee Initiative is working holistically across the supply chain to address food security challenges by improving incomes and resilience for 60,000 farming households.
USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service administers both the Food for Progress and McGovern-Dole programs. FY 2023 allocation tables will be published when available. For more information on the programs, visit fas.usda.gov/topics/food-security.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy, and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America.
Source : usda.gov