Simple reforms to U.S. farm bill would enable international food aid programs to reach millions more

Jun 23 2012

"In this year's farm bill, there is a crucial opportunity to reform how the United States handles international food aid programs," GROW campaign manager Vicky Rateau writes in this post in Oxfam's "The Politics of Poverty" blog, adding, "Simple reforms would enable aid agencies to reach millions more people when crises like the one emerging in the Sahel occur and they would not cost taxpayers a dime. In fact, reform could save taxpayers up to $500 million per year." She concludes, "Changing food aid rules will not fix our farm bill overnight," but "achieving the big, structural changes our food system desperately needs will require active and engaged citizens who are willing to stand up for what's right" (6/21).