The US must reject the false dichotomy of 'trade or aid'
Key takeaways
- Officials from USAID and WFP inspect a donation of $11 million worth of food aid at a ceremony in Harare, Zimbabwe, Jan 17. 2024.
- A quarter of a millennium later, as our nation celebrates its 250th birthday, feeding a hungry world remains an intensely bipartisan priority among American lawmakers.
- It s why in the aftermath of the Second World War, we launched our first permanent food aid program, Food for Peace, to share the bounty of American farms with the world.
Why this matters: political developments that affect policy direction and public trust.
Officials from USAID and WFP inspect a donation of $11 million worth of food aid at a ceremony in Harare, Zimbabwe, Jan 17. 2024. (AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi, File) For nearly as long as our nation has existed, providing food to those in need around the world has been a core feature of America s story. It is a legacy that echoes through time from the earliest days of our union, when leaders first debated our obligations to each other and to the world.
A quarter of a millennium later, as our nation celebrates its 250th birthday, feeding a hungry world remains an intensely bipartisan priority among American lawmakers. This commitment has stood the test of time, not only because it reflects our morality and humanity, but also because aid has proven time and again to advance American economic and national security interests.
It s why in the aftermath of the Second World War, we launched our first permanent food aid program, Food for Peace, to share the bounty of American farms with the world. It s why the Marshall Plan placed food security and agricultural development at the center of European recovery. This is why leaders from opposing parties, like Sens. Bob Dole (R-Kan.) and George McGovern (D-S.D.), worked together to export the success of American school meals to the world through the McGovern-Dole Food for Education Program.