USDA Push for Food for Peace Transfer

Sep 26, 2025
By Farms.com

Bipartisan backing grows to shift program to USDA

Bipartisan lawmakers and agricultural groups are rallying to move the Food for Peace program from the U.S. Department of State to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). This effort, supported by a multi-industry fly-in, gained momentum as Representative Tom Suozzi joined 48 Republican sponsors of H.R.1207 and S.525.

Food for Peace is the only in-kind food assistance program using U.S.-grown commodities that is not currently managed by the USDA. Advocates from wheat, sorghum, soybean, milling, maritime, and rail industries met with lawmakers to stress urgency, noting that the State Department has not purchased any wheat this year despite large U.S. stocks.

The program, started more than 70 years ago by U.S. wheat farmers to help post-war Europe, now faces delays and underspending. Historically, it has shipped about one million tons of wheat annually to feed millions worldwide.

Supporters argue the USDA is better equipped to handle this mission because it already runs similar programs such as McGovern-Dole Food for Education and Food for Progress.

“It has been incredibly frustrating for wheat farmers to see increased stocks of competitively priced wheat sitting unused while the State Department has yet to make a single wheat purchase since taking over the program,” said Jamie Kress, NAWG vice president and Idaho wheat farmer, who participated in the fly-in. “This program routinely utilizes around one million tons of wheat annually, but now is in real danger of not shipping any wheat this year. The program likely will leave substantial funds unspent at the end of the fiscal year on September 30, despite a long history of success.”

The push comes as Congress considers consolidating food assistance programs. With a divided Congress, backers hope to attach the measure to a must-pass bill like agricultural appropriations or the upcoming Farm Bill.

Farmers emphasize that the goal remains true to the program’s roots—using U.S. harvests to fight hunger and build future markets. They believe the USDA’s agricultural focus will ensure that America’s farmers, millers, and shippers stay key partners in delivering food to those in need.

Photo Credits: gettyimages-valentinrussanov

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.