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Food for Opportunity launched by USDA at World Food Prize

A new USDA program will promote the use of non-traditional commodities in food assistance programs.

Under Secretary Alexis Taylor says Food for Opportunity aims to help food insecure countries. “Through Food for Opportunity, USDA will not only expand the commodity list available to current implementers, but will also learn what effect new commodities have on the school meal and how they benefit the beneficiaries.”

Taylor says according to the Global Report on Food Crises and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, an estimated 205 million people need life-saving food assistance, and some 768 million people are facing chronic hunger.

She says the pilot has $50 million in funding. “Which is a portion of the $1 billion Commodity Credit Corporation funds deployed by USDA and USAID in April of this year to purchase U.S. grown commodities to provide emergency food assistance to people in need throughout the world.”

The program will be managed by the agency’s Foreign Agricultural Service. Taylor announced the launch of Food for Opportunity at the 2024 World Food Prize Borlaug International Dialogue in Des Moines, Iowa on Wednesday.

AUDIO: USDA’s Alexis Taylor announces launch of Food for Opportunity at 2024 World Food Prize