McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program

The McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program (IFEP) is a food aid program authorized in the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (P.L. 107–171, Sec. 3107, known as the 2002 Farm Bill) which provides for the donation of U.S. agricultural commodities and associated financial and technical assistance to carry out preschool and school feeding programs in foreign countries. Maternal, infant, and child nutrition programs also are authorized under this program. It is named after former U.S. Senators George McGovern and Bob Dole, who advocated in the U.S. Congress for its passage.^[1]^[2]

The program provided more than 22 million school meals to children in 41 countries over its first eight years.^[3] It was also credited with improving school attendance, especially among girls, who were more likely to be allowed to go to school if a meal was being provided.^[3] It continues on and is internationally popular.^[4] In 2008, McGovern and Dole were made World Food Prize laureates for their efforts to curb hunger in the world and in particular for this program.^[3]^[5]

Background

IFED began in FY2000 as a pilot project and was called Global Food for Education Initiative (GFEI). The project used the donation of surplus agricultural commodities under Section 416 of the Agricultural Act of 1949 (P.L. 89-439, as amended) to support a global school feeding program. It was initially funded with $300 million in 2000 ^[6] and known as GFEI until 2002, when it was incorporated into the 2002 farm bill under its present name.^[7]

Funding history

The program was first implemented in FY2003 with $100 million of Commodity Credit Corporation funds as stipulated in the 2002 farm bill. Beginning in FY2004, the authorizing statute provides for the program to be carried out with appropriated funding. The FY2004 agricultural appropriations act (P.L. 108–199) provided $50 million to carry out the program.

Subsequent funding was generally at $100 million a year.^[6] There were attempts to give it more permanent funding levels during 2007 and 2008.^[4] and it received an additional $80 million in 2009.^[8] By 2011–2012, the funding level was around $200 million per year.^[9] It was also credited with improving school attendance, especially among girls, who were more likely to be allowed to go to school if a meal was being provided.^[3]

The 2018 budget outline of the Trump administration eliminated funding for the program, stating that it "lacks evidence that it is being effectively implemented to reduce food insecurity".^[10] However the outline was nondeterminative and the program continued on. For FY2020, the funding level for the program was at $215 million.^[11]

Up to 10% of funding for the program is available for local and regional procurement of agricultural commodities rather than in-kind donations of U.S. products. Local and regional procurement was first allowed in 2018, and this shift is intended to support local economies.^[12]

References

This article incorporates public domain material from Jasper Womach. Report for Congress: Agriculture: A Glossary of Terms, Programs, and Laws, 2005 Edition (PDF). Congressional Research Service.

^ Becker, Elizabeth (July 23, 2001). "Public Lives: A McGovern Liberal Who's Content to Stick to the Label". The New York Times.
^ "Bush asks McGovern to keep post". The Tuscaloosa News. January 12, 2001. p. 2A.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Jackson, Henry C. (October 14, 2008). "Dole, McGovern school program awarded World Food Prize". USA Today. Associated Press.
^ ^a ^b "Farm bill has little aid for needy children abroad". Lodi News-Sentinel. Associated Press. May 14, 2008. p. 18.
^ "The 2008 World Food Prize Laureate Award Ceremony Honoring Hon. Robert Dole and Hon. George McGovern". World Food Prize. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
^ ^a ^b Lammer, Dirk (September 25, 2007). "Ex-Senator seeks more food aid funding". USA Today. Associated Press.
^ "McGovern-Dole Food for Education". Foreign Agricultural Service. Archived from the original on July 5, 2011. Retrieved July 2, 2011.
^ "Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announces Additional $80 Million in Food Assistance Under McGovern-Dole Program" (Press release). Foreign Agricultural Service. April 7, 2009. Archived from the original on October 18, 2010. Retrieved August 10, 2013.
^ "U.S. Global Food Security Funding, FY2010–FY2012" (PDF). Congressional Research Service. April 28, 2011.
^ "America First: A Budget Blueprint to Make America Great Again" (PDF). The White House. Retrieved March 16, 2017.
^ "McGovern-Dole Funding – FY 2020". Foreign Agricultural Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
^ "McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program: The Global Effort to Reduce Child Hunger and Increase School Attendance." Retrieved January 26, 2023.

External links

McGovern-Dole Food for Education Program - from the Foreign Agricultural Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Food for Education overview – from the U.S. Food Aid and Security website as of 2013