As the U.S. slashes its foreign aid budget, it raises a fundamental question: Does the world still need in-kind food aid at all?
The United States is by far the largest provider of food aid globally. For decades, much of that assistance has taken the form of shipping American-grown corn, wheat, or soy across oceans to places in crisis — a model exemplified by the Title II Food for Peace program.
In fiscal year 2023, Food for Peace provided approximately $2 billion in assistance, reaching 45 million people across 35 countries, with the majority of its operations focused on Africa. But that budget is now at risk of being cut roughly in half following the Trump administration's aid reductions.