Who is the real beneficiary of US food aid—those suffering from chronic hunger worldwide, or American agricultural corporations? For too long, the US has been buying millions of tons of grain from US-based agribusinesses and dumping it overseas. The US needs to help countries move toward true food security, by passing a reformed Farm Bill that will put funding where it is most needed—in the hands of the vulnerable, and away from US agricorps.
TO DOIn an unprecedented move, Congress let the current Farm Bill expire in September. While the Senate has passed a reformed bill, the House of Representatives has refused to schedule a vote on the new legislation. Sign this petition by the American Jewish World Service and call on Congress to pass a reformed Farm Bill, which would donate money and locally-purchased grain, rather than shipping US-bought crops.
TO READWho’s responsible for this inaction on global hunger? It may be the agricultural lobbyists profiting from the current system. Read this investigation by The Guardian and find out who’s on the receiving end of the $1 billion the US spends annually on food aid.
TO WATCHThe 2008 documentary What Are We Doing Here? takes a hard look at the impact of US aid across Africa, documenting the way American grain suppresses prices for local farmers. Watch an excerpt and an interview with the filmmakers from CNN:
A weekly guide to meaningful action, this blog connects readers with resources to channel the outrage so many feel after reading about abuses of power and privilege. Far from a comprehensive digest of all worthy groups working on behalf of the social good, Take Action seeks to shine a bright light on one concrete step that Nation readers can take each week. To broaden the conversation, we’ll publish a weekly follow-up post detailing the response and featuring additional campaigns and initiatives that we hope readers will check out. Toward that end, please use the comments field to give us ideas. With your help, we can make real change.
