Senate, USDA and USAID celebrate 60 years of Food for Peace
July 11, 2014 | 11:59 PM
By ALEX GANGITANO
Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., and ranking member Thad Cochran, R-Miss., hosted a dinner Wednesday evening to celebrate the United States Food for Peace Program’s 60th anniversary.
Keynoting the event in the Kennedy Caucus Room of the Russell Senate Office Building were Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator Rajiv Shah.
There have been some differences about whether the United States should continue to provide food aid from this country or emphasize aid to farmers in developing countries, but those seemed to be put aside for the celebratory evening, which was attended by a wide range of people with an interest in the program.
Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich.
“It's been 60 years that there's been an extraordinary partnership that's made a huge different in fighting hunger around the world,” Stabenow said. “It's been a bipartisan partnership and we don't have enough of those these days.”
She noted the crisis in South Sudan is a reminder of why combating global hunger is so important.
“With every shipment, we promote American goodwill around the world,” Stabenow said, acknowledging that 3 billion lives have been saved in more than 150 countries.
“Our goal in the farm bill was to bring together the broadest coalition possible,” she added. “There were multiple times I felt like jumping out the window at the top of this building. Sometimes my staff was holding me back, other times they wanted to join me.”
Vilsack discussed the benefits of global food aid to the United States.
“Very few Americans understand and appreciate the value of these programs,” he said. “We spend a lot of time talking to each other but not enough time talking to the general public. What we spend on foreign assistance is a really, really, really smart part of our budget.”
The USDA and USAID partnership is something to be proud of, he said.
Rajiv Shah
“Sixty years ago, this program was a sign of American values as well as a gift of food,” Shah said. “Sometimes it's easy to forget the central role that American farmers had that gave the opportunity of our country to be generous.”
Shah noted that the country needs to renew its work in this effort, “so when crisis hits, we’re there.”
“We need to reflect every day about how blessed we are in this country,” Stabenow concluded.
▪ U.S. Food for Peace Dinner Program
Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., and ranking member Thad Cochran, R-Miss., hosted a dinner Wednesday evening to celebrate the United States Food for Peace Program’s 60th anniversary.
Keynoting the event in the Kennedy Caucus Room of the Russell Senate Office Building were Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator Rajiv Shah.
There have been some differences about whether the United States should continue to provide food aid from this country or emphasize aid to farmers in developing countries, but those seemed to be put aside for the celebratory evening, which was attended by a wide range of people with an interest in the program.
“It's been 60 years that there's been an extraordinary partnership that's made a huge different in fighting hunger around the world,” Stabenow said. “It's been a bipartisan partnership and we don't have enough of those these days.”
She noted the crisis in South Sudan is a reminder of why combating global hunger is so important.
“With every shipment, we promote American goodwill around the world,” Stabenow said, acknowledging that 3 billion lives have been saved in more than 150 countries.
“Our goal in the farm bill was to bring together the broadest coalition possible,” she added. “There were multiple times I felt like jumping out the window at the top of this building. Sometimes my staff was holding me back, other times they wanted to join me.”
Vilsack discussed the benefits of global food aid to the United States.
“Very few Americans understand and appreciate the value of these programs,” he said. “We spend a lot of time talking to each other but not enough time talking to the general public. What we spend on foreign assistance is a really, really, really smart part of our budget.”
The USDA and USAID partnership is something to be proud of, he said.
“Sixty years ago, this program was a sign of American values as well as a gift of food,” Shah said. “Sometimes it's easy to forget the central role that American farmers had that gave the opportunity of our country to be generous.”
Shah noted that the country needs to renew its work in this effort, “so when crisis hits, we’re there.”
“We need to reflect every day about how blessed we are in this country,” Stabenow concluded.
▪ U.S. Food for Peace Dinner Program
