Oxfam’s President Raymond C. Offenheiser wrote an important op-ed in today’s Hill on the world hunger crisis. In it he states:

“the most urgent thing we can do is reform food aid programs. President Bush’s move to release an additional $200 million in emergency aid is a good first step. What Congress needs to do now is reform food aid policies to allow for food to be purchased where it is needed rather than shipping it halfway around the world.

Americans are the most generous donors of food aid in the world, providing half of the world’s food aid. But Congress requires all food aid to be purchased from American farmers, even when it is available closer to where it is needed. Congress mandates that food aid be processed and bagged in the U.S., even when that is the costliest option. Congress mandates that most food aid be shipped on U.S.-flagged vessels, greatly adding to costs and delays. So for every dollar we spend on food aid, only 50 cents actually reaches the people in need.

Read the full piece here.

-Virginia Simmons