USDA chief: more food aid, not less, for troubled countries

USDA chief: more food aid, not less, for troubled countries    U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns said the United States would fight any attempts by the World Trade Organization to abolish its current food aid export programs.
   “We remain committed to negotiations to achieve broad-based farm trade reform that tackles export subsidies, market access and subsidy reform,” Johanns told attendees this week at the U.S. Department of Agriculture-U.S. Agency for International Development International Food Aid Conference in Kansas City, Mo. “But we also remain committed to direct assistance.”
   During the past 50 years, the United States has donated more than $50 billion in food aid to other countries, making it the largest food aid supplier. In fiscal 2004, the United States provided 3.7 million metric tons, valued at $1.1 billion.
   Johanns said some countries take a “dim view” of how U.S. food aid is delivered and characterize it as a subsidy for American farmers. He noted that some WTO members would prefer cash donations or commodities donated through the United Nations World Food Program.
   “The WTO framework agreement forged in Geneva last July does not compromise the structure of existing U.S. food aid programs,” Johanns said. “Although we think current rules governing food aid are adequate, we do understand that new disciplines in food aid may be part of the WTO agreement.
   “The real challenge will be agreeing on disciplines that still encourage donors to meet vital humanitarian and development needs,” he said. “We believe that food aid can often be delivered quickly and efficiently through private voluntary organizations and governments as well as through the World Food Program.”
   Johanns warned that cash aid would “erode political support” in the availability of U.S. food aid.
   “What the world needs is more food aid commodities, more cash, and more donors — not new and impractical rules that require everyone to contribute in exactly the same way,” he said. “Any new disciplines applied to food aid should be discussed by international food aid experts, not just by trade experts negotiating the trade agreement.”