The Food for Progress is targeted to
countries that are making strides toward democracy and private enterprise.
The program emphasizes private sector agricultural and economic development and
enhanced food security in recipient countries. Projects are implemented by
private voluntary organizations , foreign governments, and the United Nations’
World Food Program . These organizations submit Food for Progress
proposals annually to USDA. For those proposals that are accepted, USDA
purchases the commodities requested from the U.S. market, donates the
commodities to the organization, and pays for freight to move the commodities to
the recipient country. Monetized proceeds from the sale of the commodities in
the recipient country are used to support agricultural development activities.
In fiscal year
2007, USDA implemented 21 Food for Progress programs in 15 countries with a
total program value of nearly $120 million. Ongoing activities are reaching
well over one million beneficiaries including farmers and their families,
community members, cooperatives, producer groups, and small agribusinesses. The
program was reauthorized under the 2008 U.S. Farm Bill through 2012.
Activities have
included improving agricultural techniques and marketing systems, providing
education to farmers, helping to develop cooperatives, teaching irrigation and
land conservation techniques, supporting agribusinesses and microcredit
enterprises, and building the capacity to trade.
 One project that
demonstrates the success of this program was a Food for Work and Food for
Training program in Bolivia implemented by Project Concern International (PCI)
in fiscal 2006. Using a $5.9-million Food for Progress grant that provided 17,340 metric tons
of commodities, PCI sold some of the commodities in Bolivia and used the
proceeds to strengthen llama agribusinesses and build indigenous communities’
economies. PCI provided training and technical assistance to help llama
farmers’ improve their production technology and organizational capacity,
strengthen rural microenterprises, and improve rural markets. As a result,
34,000 beneficiaries improved their economic prospects. Llama farmers’ expanded
their ability to generate income, directly impacting their families’ food
security. The training and technical assistance helped prevent the deaths of
four llamas per farm per year, enabling 2,000 llama producers to increase their
incomes by 29 percent. New economic opportunities resulting from stronger
microenterprises and improved access to markets also contributed to household
income.
Questions or comments can be directed to the Food
Assistance
Division at 202-720-4221
or via e-mail at PPDED@fas.usda.gov.
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