Expand the McGovern-Dole Program

The McGovern-Dole Program fights hunger and poverty.  It promotes education and U.S. national security and economic interests.  The Farm Bill provides the opportunity to expand and strengthen this important Program. 

Adopt the mandatory funding levels included in the Farm Bill passed by the House

• The House-passed version of the Farm Bill provides mandatory funding that reaches $300 million by 2012 thereby restoring funding to the level provided when the Program was launched.
• Mandatory funding will strengthen the ability of USDA to carry out long-term planning and increase local capacity-building and sustainability.
• Increased funding will ensure that more eligible children are reached.  There is existing capacity to feed more than the 2.4 million children reached this year by the Program.  In FY 06, USDA received applications from 150 organizations for McGovern-Dole resources but was only able to assist 12 organizations. 

The McGovern-Dole Program fights hunger and promotes education

• More than 110 million school age children around the world suffer from hunger.  The McGovern-Dole school feeding program distributes food directly to children suffering from chronic hunger in schools in the world’s poorest countries.  The Program ensures that these children eat at least one nutritious meal per day.
• Of the 110 million children who suffer from hunger, a majority do not attend school.  Where school feeding programs are offered, attendance and enrollment rates increase significantly, especially for girls. 

The McGovern-Dole Program promotes U.S. security and economic interests

• The delivery of U.S. labeled bags of food to feed children at school is an effective instrument of public diplomacy that demonstrates American goodwill and generosity.
• Providing food in schools can offer an alternative to children who may otherwise be susceptible to recruitment by groups that provide meals in return for attendance at extremist schools that serve as a breeding ground for terrorists.
• The McGovern-Dole Program also benefits American farmers and the agriculture industry.  In 2005, the Program distributed approximately 120,000 metric tons of U.S. commodities.  In addition to U.S. farmers, the Program benefits a range of related industries, such as processors, millers, packagers, freight forwarders and shippers, as well as U.S. port facilities. 

The McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program provides an opportunity to achieve many U.S. policy goals.  Please help ensure that mandatory funding for this important Program is included in the Farm Bill.