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U.S. Agricultural Aid in Response to COVID-19 [February 19, 2021]
From the Introduction: "This In Focus summarizes the major COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019]-related agricultural programs, the types of support they provide (Table 2), and their implementation period, funding levels, outlays to date, and underlying authorities (Table 3). Relevant CRS [Congressional Research Service] reports on COVID-19-related programs for agriculture and other areas, such as for nutrition assistance programs, are identified in Table 1."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Schnepf, Randall Dean, 1954-; Rosch, Stephanie
2021-02-19
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USDA's Coronavirus Food Assistance Program: Round Two (CFAP-2) [December 21, 2020]
From the Introduction: "On April 17, 2020, Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) would initiate what would be the first round of direct payments under the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP-1), valued at $16 billion, to provide immediate financial relief to farmers, ranchers, and consumers affected by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. On September 18, 2020, USDA announced a second round of CFAP direct payments (CFAP-2), valued at up to an additional $14 billion. [...] This report describes the details of CFAP-2 direct payments to the U.S. agricultural sector in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It describes the program's funding source and authority; how the program is administered, including specific details on the calculation and implementation of payments; and the status of program outlays by commodity and by state."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Schnepf, Randall Dean, 1954-
2020-12-21
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U.S. Farm Programs: Eligibility and Payment Limits [Updated December 7, 2020]
From the Summary: "Under the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 (P.L. 115-334, 2018 farm bill), U.S. farm program participants--whether individuals or multiperson legal entities--must meet specific eligibility requirements to receive benefits under certain farm programs. Some requirements are common across most programs, while others are specific to individual programs. In addition, program participants are subject to annual payment limits that vary across different combinations of farm programs."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Schnepf, Randall Dean, 1954-; Stubbs, Megan
2020-12-07
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USDA's Coronavirus Food Assistance Program: Round One (CFAP-1) [Updated November 19, 2020]
From the Document: "On April 17, 2020, Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) would initiate what would be the first round of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP-1), valued at $19 billion, to provide immediate financial relief to farmers, ranchers, and consumers in response to the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] national emergency. [...] This report describes the details of the direct payment component of the CFAP-1 initiative. It describes how this program is funded and administered, including specific details on the calculation and implementation of payments. It includes the program changes made by USDA through a series eight subsequent amendments and corrections to CFAP-1 that expanded program eligibility to additional commodities, updated payment rates, and added clarity to program definitions."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Schnepf, Randall Dean, 1954-
2020-11-19
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U.S. Farm Support: Outlook for Compliance with WTO Commitments, 2018 to 2020 [October 21, 2020]
From the Introduction: "The long-term objective of the World Trade Organization's (WTO's) Agreement on Agriculture (AoA) is to establish a fair and market-oriented agricultural trading system. The principal approaches for achieving this goal are, first, to achieve specific binding commitments by all WTO members in each of the three pillars of agricultural trade policy reform--market access, domestic support, and export subsidies--and second, to provide for substantial progressive reductions in domestic agricultural support and border protection from foreign products. As a signatory member of the WTO agreements, the United States has committed to abide by WTO rules and disciplines, including those that govern domestic farm policy as defined in the AoA. [...] This report examines whether the United States might exceed its WTO spending limit during any of the three years from 2018 through 2020. As background, this report briefly reviews the WTO rules and disciplines on farm program spending. Then, it reviews the types of U.S. farm programs that are subject to WTO disciplines--in particular, it focuses on programs that make direct payments to agricultural producers. The review of farm programs includes a discussion of how U.S. compliance may be affected by the large ad hoc direct payment programs initiated by the Secretary of Agriculture during 2018 through 2020, and other spending on farm support authorized by Congress in response to the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Schnepf, Randall Dean, 1954-
2020-10-21
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Reforming the WTO Agreement on Agriculture [July 20, 2020]
From the Introduction: "As a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), the United States has committed to abide by its rules and disciplines, including those under the Agreement on Agriculture (AoA). The AoA, which took effect when the WTO was established on January 1, 1995, brought agricultural trade, for the first time, under a set of international rules and disciplines analogous to those that have long applied to trade in other goods. [...] The COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] outbreak has highlighted various weaknesses in global food supply chains and emphasized concerns related to agricultural issues not addressed in the AoA, such as with regard to farm labor and the environment. These new issues and the postponement of MC12 [WTO's 12th Ministerial Conference] could represent a window of opportunity for Congress to consider how the United States could shape the negotiations over trade in agricultural products at MC12 and beyond."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Regmi, Anita; Hart, Nina M.; Schnepf, Randall Dean, 1954-
2020-07-20
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Climate Change Adaptation: U.S. Department of Agriculture [July 17, 2020]
From the Introduction and Background: "Congress has debated the significance of global climate change and what federal policies, if any, should be adopted to address risks and effects associated with climate change. Federal policies may focus on climate change 'mitigation'--to prevent or slow the progress of climate change--or 'adaptation'--to avoid the consequences or capture the benefits of climate change (see text box). Policies focused on adaptation can reduce risks associated with climate change at federal agencies (including risks to infrastructure, operations, and mission delivery), including at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Such policies may affect costs to the department or the sectors it serves. Given that agriculture and forestry are already experiencing the impacts of climate change, adaptation policies are particularly important for these sectors."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Hoover, Katie; Schnepf, Randall Dean, 1954-; Stubbs, Megan . . .
2020-07-17
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USDA's Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) Direct Payments [Updated June 16, 2020]
From the Introduction: "On April 17, 2020, Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) would initiate the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), valued at $19 billion, to provide immediate financial relief to farmers, ranchers, and consumers in response to the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] national emergency. According to Secretary Perdue, CFAP consists of two distinct initiatives: a $16 billion direct payment program for agricultural producers that have been impacted by the decline in commodity prices and the disruption in food supply chains related to COVID-19, and a $3 billion food purchase and distribution program for affected consumers referred to as the Farmers to Families Food Box Program. [...] This report describes the details of the larger of these two CFAP initiatives--the direct payment program. It describes how this program is funded and administered, including specific details on the calculation and implementation of payments."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Schnepf, Randall Dean, 1954-
2020-06-16
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USDA's Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) Direct Payments [June 4, 2020]
From the Introduction: "On April 17, 2020, Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) would initiate the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), valued at $19 billion, to provide immediate financial relief to farmers, ranchers, and consumers in response to the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] national emergency. [...] According to Secretary Perdue, CFAP consists of two distinct initiatives: a $16 billion direct payment program for agricultural producers that have been impacted by the decline in commodity prices and the disruption in food supply chains related to COVID-19, and a $3 billion food purchase and distribution program for affected consumers referred to as the Farmers to Families Food Box Program. [...] This report describes the details of the larger of these two CFAP initiatives--the direct payment program. It describes how this program is funded and administered, including specific details on the calculation and implementation of payments. The report begins with a brief overview of the CFAP direct payment program, including its policy objectives, funding sources, and implementing agencies. The next section describes the details of the CFAP direct payment program, including eligibility requirements for both producers and commodities, application procedures, payment calculations, and the program's timeline. The report ends with a brief discussion on issues of potential interest to Congress."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Schnepf, Randall Dean, 1954-
2020-06-04
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COVID-19, U.S. Agriculture, and USDA's Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) [May 8, 2020]
From the Introduction: "This report describes some of the actions that USDA has taken in response to the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] emergency, including CFAP [Coronavirus Food Assistance Program]--in particular, how CFAP is funded and how USDA intends to use the funds. The description of USDA COVID-19 response efforts is preceded by: first, a brief review of food supply chain issues where the U.S. agricultural sector has experienced economic harm or is potentially vulnerable to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic; and second, a review of current assessments of the economic harm to U.S. farm income, as well as to individual commodity sectors, resulting from COVID-19. The report then describes the emergency funds that have been allocated to address the U.S. agricultural sector, and how USDA plans on using those funds, including a detailed description of CFAP producer payments, and USDA's food purchase and distribution efforts. [...] Finally, several issues related to CFAP and the U.S. agricultural sector in a post-COVID economy that could be of potential interest to Congress are presented at the end of this report."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Schnepf, Randall Dean, 1954-; Monke, Jim
2020-05-08
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Federal Assistance to Troubled Industries: Selected Examples [March 19, 2020]
From the Introduction: "Serious disruptions for certain industries caused by the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic have led to calls for federal government assistance to affected industries. Although out of the ordinary, this would not be the first occasion on which the federal government has provided aid to troubled or financially distressed industries. To help inform congressional debate, this report examines selected past instances in which the government has aided troubled industries, providing information about the way in which such assistance was structured, the role of Congress, and the eventual cost."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Webel, Baird; Labonte, Marc; Canis, Bill . . .
2020-03-19
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Foreign Trade Remedy Investigations of U.S. Agricultural Products [March 11, 2020]
From the Document: "Foreign countries appear to be making greater use of punitive measures affecting U.S. agricultural exports. These measures, corresponding to duties the United States has long imposed on imports found to be traded unfairly and injuring U.S. industries, have the potential to reduce the competitiveness of U.S. agricultural exports in some foreign markets. Recent changes in U.S. agricultural policy, including over $23 billion in 'trade aid' payments in 2018 and 2019 to farmers affected by higher Chinese tariffs on certain U.S. products, may increase the likelihood of foreign measures that adversely affect U.S. agricultural trade. The imposition of anti-dumping and countervailing duties is governed by the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and of WTO's 1995 Agreement on Agriculture (AoA). Under the AoA, member countries agreed to reform their domestic agricultural support policies, increase access to imports, and reduce export subsidies. The AoA spells out the rules to determine whether policies are potentially trade distorting. If a trading partner believes that imported agricultural products are being sold below cost ('dumped') or benefit from unfair subsidies, it may impose anti-dumping (AD) or countervailing duties (CVD) on those imports to eliminate the unfair price advantage."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Regmi, Anita; Hart, Nina M.; Schnepf, Randall Dean, 1954-
2020-03-11
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U.S. Farm Support: Compliance with WTO Commitments [October 4, 2019]
From the Document: "As a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) agreements, the United States has committed to abide by WTO rules and disciplines, including those that govern domestic farm policy as spelled out in the Agreement on Agriculture (AoA). Since establishment of the WTO on January 1, 1995, the United States has complied with its WTO spending limits on market-distorting types of farm program outlays (referred to as amber box spending). However, the addition of large, new trade assistance payments to producers in 2018 and 2019, on top of existing farm program support, has raised concerns by some U.S. trading partners, as well as market watchers and policymakers, that U.S. domestic farm subsidy outlays might exceed the annual spending limit of $19.1 billion agreed to as part of U.S. commitments to WTO member countries. CRS [Congressional Research Service] analysis indicates that the United States probably did not violate its WTO spending limit in 2018 but could potentially exceed it in 2019."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Schnepf, Randall Dean, 1954-
2019-10-04
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Farm Policy: USDA's 2019 Trade Aid Package [Updated September 4, 2019]
From the Document: "Under the 2019 trade aid package, USDA will use its authority under the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) Charter Act to fund three separate programs to assist agricultural producers in 2019 while the Administration works to resolve the ongoing trade disputes with certain foreign nations, most notably China. The three programs are similar to the 2018 trade aid package but are funded at different levels: 1. The Market Facilitation Program (MFP) for 2019, administered by USDA's Farm Service Agency, is to provide up to $14.5 billion in direct payments to producers of affected commodities (compared with up to $10 billion in 2018). 2. A Food Purchase and Distribution Program, administered through USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service, will use $1.4 billion (compared with $1.2 billion in 2018) to purchase surplus commodities affected by trade retaliation, such as fruits, vegetables, some processed foods, beef, pork, lamb, poultry, and milk, for distribution by USDA's Food and Nutrition Service to food banks, schools, and other outlets serving low-income individuals. 3. The Agricultural Trade Promotion Program, administered by USDA's Foreign Agriculture Service, will be provided $100 million ($200 million in 2018) to assist in developing new export markets on behalf of U.S. agricultural producers."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Schnepf, Randall Dean, 1954-
2019-09-04
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Farm Policy: USDA's 2019 Trade Aid Package [August 12, 2019]
From the Document: "Under the 2019 trade aid package, USDA will use its authority under the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) Charter Act to fund three separate programs to assist agricultural producers in 2019 while the Administration works to resolve the ongoing trade disputes with certain foreign nations, most notably China. The three programs are similar to the 2018 trade aid package but are funded at different levels: 1. The Market Facilitation Program (MFP) for 2019, administered by USDA's Farm Service Agency, is to provide up to $14.5 billion in direct payments to producers of affected commodities (compared with up to $10 billion in 2018). 2. A Food Purchase and Distribution Program, administered through USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service, will use $1.4 billion (compared with $1.2 billion in 2018) to purchase surplus commodities affected by trade retaliation such as fruits, vegetables, some processed foods, beef, pork, lamb, poultry, and milk for distribution by USDA's Food and Nutrition Service to food banks, schools, and other outlets serving low-income individuals. 3. The Agricultural Trade Promotion Program, administered by USDA's Foreign Agriculture Service, will be provided $100 million ($200 million in 2018) to assist in developing new export markets on behalf of U.S. agricultural producers."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Schnepf, Randall Dean, 1954-
2019-08-12
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Farm Policy: USDA's 2018 Trade Aid Package [Updated June 19, 2019]
From the Introduction: "In early 2018, the Trump Administration--citing concerns over national security and unfair trade practices--imposed increased tariffs on certain imported products in general and on U.S. imports from China in particular. Several of the affected foreign trading partners responded to the U.S. tariffs with their own retaliatory tariffs targeting various U.S. products, especially agricultural commodities. On July 24, 2018, Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) would be taking several temporary actions to assist farmers in response to trade damage from what the Administration has characterized as 'unjustified retaliation.' Specifically, USDA would authorize up to $12 billion in financial assistance--referred to as the 'trade aid' package--for certain agricultural commodities under Section 5 of the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) Charter Act (15 U.S.C. 714c). [...] This report provides background on the trade dispute that triggered the trade-aid package as well as the authority used by USDA to respond to the trade dispute with financial assistance. Then the report describes the three components of the trade-aid package with details on their implementation."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Schnepf, Randall Dean, 1954-; Monke, James; Stubbs, Megan . . .
2019-06-19
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Farm Policy: USDA's 2018 Trade Aid Package [Updated June 14, 2019]
From the Document: "In early 2018, the Trump Administration--citing concerns over national security and unfair trade practices--imposed increased tariffs on certain imported products in general and on U.S. imports from China in particular. Several of the affected foreign trading partners (including China) responded to the U.S. tariffs with their own retaliatory tariffs targeting various U.S. products, especially agricultural commodities. On July 24, 2018, Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) would be taking several temporary actions to assist farmers in response to trade damage from what the Administration has characterized as 'unjustified retaliation.'"
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Schnepf, Randall Dean, 1954-; Monke, Jim; Stubbs, Megan . . .
2019-06-14
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Agriculture in the WTO: Rules and Limits on U.S. Domestic Support [Updated June 4, 2019]
From the Introduction: "Trade plays a critical role in the U.S. agricultural sector. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates that exports account for about 20% of total U.S. agricultural production. Furthermore, given the substantial volume of its agricultural exports, the United States plays a significant role in many international agricultural markets. As a result, U.S. farm policy is often subject to intense scrutiny both for compliance with current World Trade Organization (WTO) rules and for its potential to diminish the breadth or impede the success of future multilateral negotiations. In part, this is because a farm bill locks in U.S. policy behavior for an extended period of time during which the United States would be unable to accept any new restrictions on its domestic support programs."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Schnepf, Randall Dean, 1954-
2019-06-04
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WTO Disciplines on U.S. Domestic Support for Agriculture [Updated June 3, 2019]
From the Document: "Trade is critical to the U.S. agricultural sector: Exports account for about 20% of total U.S. agricultural production. Some commodities--such as cotton, wheat, and soybeans--have export shares of nearly 50% or greater. As a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), the United States has committed to abide by WTO rules and disciplines, including those that govern domestic farm policy."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Schnepf, Randall Dean, 1954-
2019-06-03
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Major Agricultural Trade Issues in the 116th Congress [May 20, 2019]
From the Summary: "Sales of U.S. agricultural products to foreign markets absorb about one-fifth of U.S. agricultural production, thus contributing significantly to the health of the farm economy. Farm product exports, which totaled $143 billion in FY2018 [...], make up about 9% of total U.S. exports and contribute positively to the U.S. balance of trade. The economic benefits of agricultural exports also extend across rural communities, while overseas farm sales help to buoy a wide array of industries linked to agriculture, including transportation, processing, and farm input suppliers."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Regmi, Anita; Angadjivand, Sahar; Cowan, Tadlock . . .
2019-05-20
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WTO Disciplines on U.S. Domestic Support for Agriculture [September 19, 2018]
"Trade is critical to the U.S. agricultural sector: Exports account for about 20% of total U.S. agricultural production. Some commodities--such as cotton, wheat, and soybeans--have export shares of nearly 50% or greater. As a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), the United States has committed to abide by WTO rules and disciplines, including those that govern domestic farm policy."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Schnepf, Randall Dean, 1954-
2018-09-18
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Agriculture in the WTO: Rules and Limits on U.S. Domestic Support [September 6, 2018]
"Trade plays a critical role in the U.S. agricultural sector. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates that exports account for about 20% of total U.S. agricultural production. Furthermore, given the substantial volume of its agricultural exports, the United States plays a significant role in many international agricultural markets. As a result, U.S. farm policy is often subject to intense scrutiny both for compliance with current World Trade Organization (WTO) rules and for its potential to diminish the breadth or impede the success of future multilateral negotiations.In part, this is because a farm bill locks in U.S. policy behavior for an extended period of time during which the United States would be unable to accept any new restrictions on its domestic support programs."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Schnepf, Randall Dean, 1954-
2018-09-06
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Potential WTO Implications of USDA's Proposed Response to Trade-Retaliation [July 27, 2018]
"On July 24, 2018, Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) would be taking several actions to assist farmers in response to trade damage from what the Administration has characterized as 'unjustified retaliation.' Specifically, the Secretary said that USDA would authorize up to $12 billion in programs under the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) Charter Act (See CRS Report R44606, The Commodity Credit Corporation: In Brief) to help agricultural producers meet the costs of disrupted markets. (See CRS Insight IN10880, China's Retaliatory Tariffs on Selected U.S. Agricultural Products.) Due to its price tag ($12 billion) and the uncertainty over how payments will be implemented, there is considerable interest from policymakers and market watchers about whether these payments will be fully compliant with World Trade Organization (WTO) commitments. This Insight briefly discusses the WTO commitments that are relevant to U.S. domestic support programs and how the newly announced U.S. trade retaliation assistance program may or may not comply with those WTO commitments."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Schnepf, Randall Dean, 1954-
2018-07-27
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U.S. Farm Income Outlook for 2017 [October 4, 2017]
"According to USDA's Economic Research Service (ERS), national net farm income--a key indicator of U.S. farm well-being--is forecast at $63.4 billion in 2017, up 3% from last year. The forecast rise in 2017 net farm income comes after three consecutive years of decline from 2013's record high of $123.8 billion. Net farm income is calculated on an accrual basis. Net cash income (calculated on a cash-flow basis) is also projected to be up in 2017 but by a larger share (12.6%), driven largely by sales from previous years' inventory, to $100.4 billion. The 2017 net farm income forecast is substantially below the 10-year average of $86.4 billion and would be the second lowest since 2003 in inflation-adjusted dollars. This is primarily the result of the outlook for continued weak prices for corn, soybeans, and cotton. Most crops and livestock product prices remain significantly below the average for the period of 2011-2013, when prices for many major commodities attained record or near-record highs. Net farm income is down 49% since 2013; net cash income is down 26%. Farm-sector production expenses have fallen slightly over that period (-1%) but not nearly as quickly as commodity prices and revenue, thus contributing to lower aggregate income totals."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Schnepf, Randall Dean, 1954-
2017-10-07
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Farm Safety-Net Payments Under the 2014 Farm Bill: Comparison by Program Crop [August 11, 2017]
"The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) operates several programs that supplement the incomes of farmers and ranchers in times of low farm prices and helps them to manage risks associated with natural disasters and with variability in crop and pasture yields and commodity prices. These programs--referred to as the 'farm safety net'--include three components: federal crop insurance, farm revenue support programs, and agricultural disaster assistance. Over the years substantial federal resources have been spent in support of the farm safety net. Much of this spending has gone to a small group of field crops. Within this group of field crops, there has been significant variation in both absolute and relative levels of historical farm support. The 2014 farm bill (Agricultural Act of 2014, P.L. 113-79) changed the structure of several safety-net programs; however, important differences in commodity-specific funding persist."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Schnepf, Randall Dean, 1954-
2017-08-11
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NASS and U.S. Crop Production Forecasts: Methods and Issues [April 13, 2017]
"This report provides an overview of NASS [National Agricultural Statistics Service]. First, it reviews the origins, legislative authority, and funding for NASS. Then, the report describes the survey methodology used by NASS to generate crop production forecasts and estimates for U.S. crops at both the state and national level. Third, this report describes the systematic evolution that occurs over the course of a growing season for both the survey methodology and the annual sequence of NASS reports that are used to convey the crop production forecasts to the U.S. agricultural sector. Fourth, this report describes how NASS survey methodology is extended to collect county-level crop area and yield estimates. This fourth section also includes a discussion of emergent issues related to low producer response rates to NASS surveys and the subsequent discrepancies in neighboring county yield estimates and farm program payments. Finally, the report discusses how evidence on market price reaction to USDA [U.S. Department of Agriculture] crop production forecasts indicates that there is no visible pattern of bias or error."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Schnepf, Randall Dean, 1954-
2017-04-13
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U.S. International Food Aid Programs: Background and Issues [September 14, 2016]
"For almost six decades, the United States has played a leading role in global efforts to alleviate hunger and malnutrition and to enhance world food security through international food assistance-traditionally through either the donation or sale on concessional terms of U.S. agricultural commodities but in recent years also by direct cash transfers targeting emergency situations and by investing in host-country nutrition and agricultural development activities. Historically, U.S. international food assistance has been distributed through four main program authorities: (1) the Food for Peace Act (FFPA, also known as P.L. 480); (2) the Section 416(b) program (which has been inactive since 2007); (3) the Food for Progress Act of 1985; and (4) the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program. [...] Since FY2006, annual spending on U.S. international food assistance programs has averaged $2.5 billion, with FFPA Title II outlays averaging $1.8 billion (74%). Despite growth in cash-based assistance under EFSP, the United States continues to rely heavily on in-kind transfers of domestic commodities for international food aid. In contrast, most other countries operating international food aid programs have converted primarily to cash-based food assistance. U.S. reliance on in-kind food aid has become controversial due to its identified inefficiencies and potential market distortions compared with cash-based assistance. In addition to domestic sourcing, U.S. food aid is subject to a suite of legislative requirements that potentially limit the U.S. response to emergency food crises."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Schnepf, Randall Dean, 1954-
2016-09-14
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Obama Administration's Feed the Future Initiative [Updated July 25, 2016]
From the Introduction: "Established in 2010, 'Feed the Future' (FTF) is a major Obama Administration foreign assistance initiative designed to alleviate global poverty and improve health and food security. [...] TF is a new federal investment paradigm targeting sustainable reductions in international hunger, malnutrition, and food insecurity. FTF seeks to foster transparency and accountability and track and assess program implementation progress through the use of publicly released metrics to justify U.S. investments in each recipient country and each development program, indicators to monitor and evaluate progress, and annual reports to Congress. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) selects the main FTF recipient countries--known as 'focus countries' under the initiative--based on country ownership potential, need, and opportunity for reducing food insecurity. [...] This report discusses these and other features of FTF. Key issues addressed include the origin, intent, and government-wide inter-agency development approach of FTF; FTF program implementation, including monitoring and evaluation issues; and funding. This report also raises possible oversight issues for Congress relating to FTF implementation. Possible matters of interest to Members include the limited availability of USAID reporting on program impact results by country, and long-term institutional prospects for FTF, given its status as an ad hoc Obama Administration presidential initiative. Congress is presently evaluating the overall merits of FTF and whether to permanently authorize the initiative."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Lawson, Marian Leonardo; Schnepf, Randall Dean, 1954-; Cook, Nicolas
2016-07-25
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U.S. Farm Income Outlook for 2016 [February 16, 2016]
"According to USDA's Economic Research Service (ERS), national net farm income--a key indicator of U.S. farm well-being--is forecast at $54.8 billion in 2016, down 3% from last year. The 2016 forecast represents the third consecutive year of decline and would be the lowest since 2002 in both nominal and inflation-adjusted dollars. Net farm income is calculated on an accrual basis. Net cash income (calculated on a cash-flow basis) is also projected lower in 2016, down 2.5% to $90.9 billion. The forecast for lower net farm income and net cash income is the result of the outlook for lower crop and livestock receipts--down a combined 2.5% ($9.6 billion). The fall in cash receipts reflects continued declines in prices for most commodities compared with the period of 2011-2013, when prices for many major commodities experienced record or near-record highs. Partially offsetting the decline in farm revenues is a mild decline of about 3% in farm cash expenses. In addition, government payments are projected up by 31% to $13.9 billion. The 2014 farm bill (Agricultural Act of 2014; P.L. 113-79) eliminated direct payments of nearly $5 billion per year and replaced them with a new suite of revenue support programs. In particular, the new Price Loss Coverage (PLC) and Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) programs are expected to trigger payments in excess of $9 billion in 2016."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Schnepf, Randall Dean, 1954-
2016-02-16
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Obama Administration's Feed the Future Initiative [January 29, 2016]
From the Summary: "The Obama Administration's Feed the Future (FTF) Initiative is a U.S. international development program launched in 2010 that invests in food security and agricultural development activities in a select group of developing countries in an effort to reduce hunger, malnutrition, poverty, and food insecurity. The bulk of FTF funding supports 19 'focus countries' selected based on country ownership potential, needs, and opportunities to achieve success. FTF supports additional countries under aligned and regional programs and through assistance to three 'strategic partners'--Brazil, India, and South Africa--to increase regionally based sustainable development capacities."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Lawson, Marian Leonardo; Schnepf, Randall Dean, 1954-; Cook, Nicolas
2016-01-29
