U.S.-based NGOs Oppose Costly Changes to Cargo Preference That Cut U.S. International Food Aid Programs

By: Community Letter
May 1, 2015

The organizations listed below are extremely concerned about the potential negative impacts of Section 303 of H.R. 1987, the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2015, which would provide the Secretary of Transportation the exclusive authority to unilaterally apply cargo preference rules on programs run by other departments and agencies, and ignore the outcomes … Continue reading U.S.-based NGOs Oppose Costly Changes to Cargo Preference That Cut U.S. International Food Aid Programs

Questions for Congressional Consideration: Our Budget Hearing Wish List

By: Staff Person
February 24, 2015

See below for a post by MFAN Co-Chairs George Ingram, Carolyn Miles, and Connie Veillette. *** Beginning this week, Congress will be calling administration officials up to Capitol Hill to answer questions about the President’s FY2016 Budget Request, which was released earlier this month. In advance of the hearings with Secretary of State John Kerry … Continue reading Questions for Congressional Consideration: Our Budget Hearing Wish List

The 114th Congress and Prospects for International Development

By: Staff Person
November 14, 2014

See below for a guest post from George Ingram, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution and MFAN Co-Chair. This piece originally appeared on the Brookings blog on November 13. *** Conventional wisdom has it that foreign assistance is best supported by a Republican president and a Democratic Congress—Democrats are generally supportive of foreign assistance and … Continue reading The 114th Congress and Prospects for International Development

International aid groups applaud bipartisan legislation to reform international food aid programs

By: Staff Person
June 4, 2014

Washington, D.C.- This statement is delivered on behalf of the endorsing organizations: American Jewish World Service, Bread for the World, CARE, Church World Service, Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network, Oxfam America, Presbyterian Church USA, Save the Children, The Borgen Project, United Methodist Church: General Board of Church and Society. As leading … Continue reading International aid groups applaud bipartisan legislation to reform international food aid programs

Charting A Way Forward on U.S. Development Policy

By: Staff Person
April 16, 2014

These next two years are an important window of opportunity for U.S. aid reform. The midterm elections in 2014 are certain to shake up the membership of Congress. In 2015, the Millennium Development Goals will expire and a new global development agenda will take its place. And 2016 will bring a new administration and further changes in Congress. We urge the Administration and Congress to work together to institutionalize the important reforms that have already been introduced and continue to push forward on strengthening country ownership and accountability.

The Farm Bill reform that will feed millions

By: Staff Person
March 11, 2014

2014 is the year to do it. We expect the Obama administration to continue to push for reform. Budgetary pressures aren’t letting up, mandating the kind of cost efficiencies local purchasing delivers. The need for food aid seems set grow in the short-term; the increasing threat of climate disasters and manmade disasters, like the plight of Syrian refugees, demand a more responsible approach.

MFAN Statement: 2014 Farm Bill Clears Congress with Key Reforms to International Food Aid, Heads to President Obama for Signature

By: Staff Person
February 5, 2014

MFAN applauds Congress for including key reforms to U.S. international food assistance in the 2014 Farm Bill, which was approved by Congress following a 68-32 vote in the Senate yesterday and a 251-166 vote in the House last week. These reforms are an important incremental step in ensuring greater flexibility and efficiency of our international food aid programs. The legislation will now go to President Obama for his signature. We commend Congress, and in particular the leaders of the Senate and House Agriculture Committees – Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Ranking Member Thad Cochran (R-MS), Chairman Frank Lucas (R-OK), and Ranking Member Collin Peterson (D-MN), respectively – for including common-sense reform provisions to food aid in the five-year authorization bill.

MFAN Statement: New Farm Bill Includes Key Reforms to International Food Assistance

By: Staff Person
January 28, 2014

With the release of the 2014 Farm Bill, MFAN applauds Congress for including key reforms to U.S. international food assistance that would allow for greater flexibility and efficiency of our food aid programs . We commend the Farm Bill conferees, particularly the leaders of the Senate and House Agriculture Committees – Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Ranking Member Thad Cochran (R-MS), Chairman Frank Lucas (R-OK), and Ranking Member Collin Peterson (D-MN), respectively – for their bipartisan efforts in pushing for these common-sense reform provisions.

Something Rotten in the State of Denmark

By: Staff Person
January 14, 2014

Just how inefficient is the U.S. system, which was created decades ago to help find a way to dispose of government-held stocks of agricultural commodities? More than half of every dollar spent on U.S. food programs currently goes to shipping and transportation costs, rather than to lifesaving food, which means that a great deal of that money is ending up in coffers of companies like Maersk.

Typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan Makes the Case for More Flexible Food Aid

By: Staff Person
November 20, 2013

The House/Senate conference on the farm bill should adopt not just the modest change of 20 percent flexibility found in the Senate bill, but allow up to 30-40 percent, or, even better, 50 percent of our food assistance to be used for local and regional purchase if that is the most efficient and readily available source.