WASHINGTON, April 26, 2001- The United States signed a fiscal year 2001 Global Food for Education (GFE) agreement with International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC), a private voluntary organization, on April 20, 2001, for the donation of wheat for monetization in Georgia.

The agreement provides for approximately 10,800 metric tons of hard red winter wheat.

IOCC will implement a 12-month direct distribution program to provide school lunches to approximately 14,000 children. The program will target children ages 5-15 who are enrolled in schools located in Tbilisi and southern and western Georgia. IOCC also plans to use monetized proceeds from the sale of the wheat to support health, environmental, and civic education programs in Georgia.

The donation will be made under USDA's Section 416(b) program, administered by the Foreign Agricultural Service. This agreement is part of a $300 million pilot GFE initiative to expand access to basic education and improve childhood development in poor countries. Under this initiative, the United States is providing surplus agricultural commodities to improve student enrollment, attendance, and performance in poor countries, with special emphasis on increasing female enrollment. The supply period for this donation is fiscal year 2001.

For further information, contact Delphine Hamlin at (202) 720-8398, or send an e-mail to Hamlin@fas.usda.gov. Information on the GFE initiative can be found on the Internet at http://www.fas.usda.gov/excredits/gffei.html 

#PR 0122-01