Harden in Africa to announce school feeding grants, talk trade
August 10, 2015 |06:30 PM
Agriculture Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden is in Rwanda today to announce the fiscal year 2015 McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program grants, and will continue to South Africa to speak at a trade conference.
On a call to reporters, Harden said the $25 million McGovern-Dole grant to Rwanda is the first that USDA has awarded to that country since 2010.
The grant to the World Food Program is over five years, Harden said, reflecting USDA’s analysis that five-year grants would be more effective than the previous three-year grants. The government is not “specifically” required to continue school food programs after five years, but will have to be a “willing partner” in understanding that school feeding is important to keeping children, especially girls, in school.
Harden said that the foods to be provided are a U.S.-produced corn-soy blend that also includes peas and lentils and that the program would also work with local farmers to provide some of the food.
USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service also announced that it has made a total of $202 million in grants to groups active in the African countries of Cote D’Ivoire, Mali, Mozambique and Sierra Leone as well as Rwanda and to the Central American country of Honduras. The grants are expected to benefit 2.5 million children.
The U.S.-produced foods going to those countries are corn, corn-soy blend, lentils, green and yellow split peas, fortified rice, vegetable oil and pinto beans.
The seven new McGovern-Dole projects being supported by FAS in fiscal year 2015 are in addition to 28 projects already in place in 21 countries. Since the program was established in 2002, it has benefited more than 30 million children in 38 countries, USDA said.
“By providing school meals, teacher training and related support, McGovern-Dole projects help boost school enrollment and academic performance, with a special focus on girls,” Harden said in a news release.
“At the same time, the program focuses on improving children’s health and learning capacity before they enter school by offering nutrition programs for pregnant and nursing women, infants and preschoolers.”
Harden is scheduled to speak Thursday at the Produce Marketing Association Conference in Cape Town, South Africa.
On a call to reporters, Harden said the $25 million McGovern-Dole grant to Rwanda is the first that USDA has awarded to that country since 2010.
The grant to the World Food Program is over five years, Harden said, reflecting USDA’s analysis that five-year grants would be more effective than the previous three-year grants. The government is not “specifically” required to continue school food programs after five years, but will have to be a “willing partner” in understanding that school feeding is important to keeping children, especially girls, in school.
Harden said that the foods to be provided are a U.S.-produced corn-soy blend that also includes peas and lentils and that the program would also work with local farmers to provide some of the food.
USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service also announced that it has made a total of $202 million in grants to groups active in the African countries of Cote D’Ivoire, Mali, Mozambique and Sierra Leone as well as Rwanda and to the Central American country of Honduras. The grants are expected to benefit 2.5 million children.
The U.S.-produced foods going to those countries are corn, corn-soy blend, lentils, green and yellow split peas, fortified rice, vegetable oil and pinto beans.
The seven new McGovern-Dole projects being supported by FAS in fiscal year 2015 are in addition to 28 projects already in place in 21 countries. Since the program was established in 2002, it has benefited more than 30 million children in 38 countries, USDA said.
“By providing school meals, teacher training and related support, McGovern-Dole projects help boost school enrollment and academic performance, with a special focus on girls,” Harden said in a news release.
“At the same time, the program focuses on improving children’s health and learning capacity before they enter school by offering nutrition programs for pregnant and nursing women, infants and preschoolers.”
Harden is scheduled to speak Thursday at the Produce Marketing Association Conference in Cape Town, South Africa.
