Humanitarian NGOs are bracing for a fraught year of negotiations on the 2023 farm bill, a mammoth piece of legislation that governs United States international food assistance programs, support for U.S. farmers, and domestic food assistance programs.
The bill, which must be approved every five years, authorizes key programs to fund school meals, provide both emergency and nonemergency food aid, and the donation of U.S. commodities that are distributed as food or sold to fund projects.
The bill will also include negotiations to replenish the Bill Emmerson Trust, an emergency pot of money that was entirely drawn down last year as the Russian invasion of Ukraine sent food prices soaring around the world.