WASHINGTON, DC, US — The United States has allotted $455 million in taxpayer funds toward a new push to buttress food security, increase agricultural productivity and expand trade around the world.

The massive investment intends to incorporate more than 375,000 tonnes of US commodities. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) said it conducts numerous analyses to ensure no impact to local production, markets or US commercial interests.

The Sept. 21 announcement from Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said the global food security and capacity-building efforts will fall under the auspices of two programs: Food for Progress and the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition.

The Food for Progress program will supply US commodities to be sold in local and regional markets. The intent is that the proceeds will help strengthen short- and long-term food security through development of agricultural value chains and trade promotion.

“USDA will award $225 million in international development projects under the Food for Progress program to help improve agricultural productivity and expand trade of agricultural products,” Vilsack said. “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.”

The USDA said its food security programs are continuously monitored to measure success rates. The Department cited Burundi, the newest participant in McGovern-Dole and Food for Progress with the country’s fiscal 2023 inclusion, noting that the country’s Better Coffee Initiative works “holistically across the supply chain to address food security challenges by improving incomes and resilience for 60,000 farming households.”

Food for Progress program investments in fiscal 2024 will be made in Bangladesh, Cote d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Lesotho, Mauritania, Nepal and Togo, the USDA said. The McGovern-Dole program this year also will target seven countries: Cameroon, Haiti, Mozambique, Nepal, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka and Togo.

The McGovern-Dole program will be the beneficiary of $230 million taxpayer dollars the USDA said will go directly to hungry school children to help address hunger and promote education. As such, the program will remain the largest donor to global school feeding programs, supporting national programs in low- and middle-income countries, the USDA said.

The program “has been a pillar of global school feeding program for more than two decades, benefiting more than 31 million children and families in 48 countries, providing more than 5.5 billion school meals and supporting programs through US-donated commodities and technical and financial support,” Vilsack said.

The USDA again cited Burundi as a nation where US funding is making a difference. The Department said more than 6,000 tonnes of US commodities and 2,000 tonnes of locally produced commodities are slated to provide daily school meals and literacy programming for more than 80,000 children in fiscal 2023 via the McGovern-Dole program.