Almost $500 million in food is at risk of spoilage after USAID pause, report says

(CBS NEWS)—Almost $500 million in food aid is at risk of spoilage as it sits in ports, ships and warehouses after funding for the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, was paused by the Trump administration, according to a Feb. 10 report from a government watchdog.

The report from USAID’s inspector general highlighted the risks of “safeguarding and distribution” of $8.2 billion in unspent humanitarian aid after the Trump administration ordered almost all staff to be placed on leave and ordered a review of U.S. foreign assistance programs.

USAID, which provides humanitarian aid to more than 100 countries, buys food directly from U.S. farmers and manufacturers, which have typically provided about 40% of international food assistance, according to a 2021 report from the Congressional Research Service. With USAID funding paused, there is concern among U.S. farmers about the market for some of their products, including Kansas sorghum producers, according to the Topeka Capital-Journal.

While the future of USAID’s funding and its purchases from U.S. farmers remains unclear, there is currently $489 million worth of food sitting “at ports, in transit, and in warehouses at risk of spoilage, unanticipated storage needs, and diversion,” the Feb. 10 USAID inspector general report said.

An additional 500,000 additional metric tons of food is currently on ships or ready to be shipped abroad, the report added. USAID typically buys commodities such as wheat, soybeans, sorghum and split peas from U.S. farmers.

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