Farm Groups Welcome Review Of USAID

When the Trump Administration took office, and established DOGE, one of the first programs that was reviewed, and eventually dismantled, was USAID.  The Administration said the $40 billion organization, which employed thousands of people, was wasting taxpayer funds and not doing the work it was established to do.  Many in the agriculture community have welcomed the review of USAID.

“[There’s been] A push [for a while] to increase this transparency and accountability and what they say is ‘put the food back in food aid’," said Casey Chumrau, CEO of the Washington Grain Commission.  "There's been quite a shift the last five or ten years even, to cash payments overseas or purchasing commodities overseas, often from our competitors. So, we would really like to see a return to the original intent of the program.”

Chumrau added she’s hopeful there will be measured discussions about USAID moving forward, so there won’t be long-term disruptions.  She added ideally the program can be reinvented so it works for American farmers as well as those in need across the world.

“It is really a significant part of the PNW’s export plan, I would say at this point.  Food aid is, if you would count it as a country, is a top 10 market for soft white the last decade," Chumrau said.  "And so that wheat is purchased commercially like any other bushel of wheat and does support our farmers and then obviously help battle the hunger across the world as well.”

Chumrau added the United States has an abundance of great food, and growers and producers want to get that food to those in need.

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