FOREIGN AGRICULTURAL SERVICE PROGRAMS AND FOREIGN RELATIONS

If we cannot sell our food, we can give it away (Miscon-
ception No. 3). In many underdeveloped areas, selling food is actually
easier and cheaper than giving it away. The answer to this seeming
paradox is rather simple. Every country of the free world has a com-
mercial distribution system through which food flows to the people.
But many countries—especially the non-Christian countries—lack dis-
tributive facilities and organizations through which additional large
quantities of donated food can be channeled to the needy.

Substantial quantities of food already are being donated through
the people-to-people approach of the voluntary foreign relief organiza-
tions and the country-to-country operations of the International Co-
operation Administration. Since 1954, for example, foreign food
donations of the United States under Titles II and III, P. L. 480, have
had a cost value of 1.8 billion dollars. In most countries, current dona-
tions represent just about all that existing charitable facilities can
handle. If additional quantities are to be distributed, facilities—includ-
ing transportation and storage—will have to be provided; and responsi-
ble organizations, either indigenous or international, must be organ-
ized to handle the expanded distribution.

Food donation policies must be formulated carefully. Otherwise,
donation operations will be self-defeating. For example, the United
States wants to see school lunch programs established on a permanent
basis in underdeveloped countries. The United States generally pro-
vides school lunch assistance on condition that the program be taken
over by the foreign government within a reasonable length of time—
usually about five years. This policy helps to assure continuation of the
program, whether or not U. S. food is forthcoming.

Refugee feeding will be continued, and, where practicable, in-
creased. This again, however, presents problems. Refugees oftentimes
are interspersed with the population of the “host” country. Experience
has shown that it is not wise to raise refugee diets to a higher level
than those of the “host” country’s own people.

Supplemental donations to hospitals, orphanages, homes for the
aged, and similar institutions are a highly desirable form of giving.
The donations, because they are supplemental, mean minimum adverse
repercussions should U. S. supplies later have to be curtailed or with-
drawn. On the other hand, family feeding programs must be screened
very carefully. Experience has shown that food gets into the black
market faster from large-scale, non-institutional indigent feeding pro-
grams than from other types of operation.

We are working to increase and improve the donations. I have
dwelt on these major misconceptions in the hope that you can set

33

<<   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   >>

More intriguing information