Food Security

FAS leads USDA’s two statutorily required food security programs, the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program and Food for Progress. Through these programs, American farmers, ranchers and producers generously share their bounty with the world to ensure long-term food security and open key markets for American businesses.

Programs

Food Security

Food for Peace

The Food for Peace program benefits American farmers and producers through purchases of bulk and formulated U.S. agricultural commodities furnished to provide emergency food assistance to address famine, food crises, and acute food insecurity. Food...
Food Security

Food for Progress

Purchases bulk U.S. agricultural commodities from American farmers, ranchers and producers to be sold commercially in emerging economies to support agricultural programs that increase opportunities for U.S. trade.
Use of U.S. agricultural commodities to support school meal programs that reduce hunger and improve literacy and primary education in some of the world’s most vulnerable communities.
Supports field-based projects that provide development assistance and emergency food relief using locally procured commodities.
Funds set in reserve to help the United States respond to emergency food needs worldwide.
Fellowships and Exchanges

Borlaug Fellowship Program

The Borlaug Fellowship Program offers mentoring and training to researchers and policymakers from developing countries to help promote food security and economic growth.
Fellowships and Exchanges

Cochran Fellowship Program

Provides short-term, U.S.-based training opportunities to agricultural professionals from developing and middle-income countries.
Fellowships and Exchanges

Faculty Exchange Program

Provides semester-long U.S. training opportunities to university-level agricultural educators from developing countries.
Provides fellowships to U.S. citizens to assist developing countries in establishing school-based agricultural education and youth extension programs.
Fellowships and Exchanges

Embassy Science Fellows Program

Places U.S. Government technical experts at American embassies abroad to provide expertise on issues relating to the environment, science, technology and health.
Supports collaboration between teams of scientific and technical experts from the United States and the People’s Republic of China.
Supports joint research, education, and extension projects between U.S. and international agricultural professionals.
Fellowships and Exchanges

Scientific Exchange Program

The Scientific Exchange Program supports scientific training, collaborative research and mentoring between U.S. scientists and international agricultural professionals.

Data and Analysis

A number of factors have converged over the last 18 months to send global agricultural commodity prices to near-record levels. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – and the potential loss of Ukrainian exports – was the latest development to push commodity prices higher.
Infographic detailing FAS 2019 accomplishments in the areas of trade policy, market development, and trade capacity building.
Charts and Graphs

Infographic: Cochran Fellowship Program

Infographic relating some of the highlights from more than 40 years of the Cochran Program.

News and Features

U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service announced the priority countries for its Food for Progress and McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition programs for fiscal year 2026.
Today, Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Luke Lindberg announced USDA intends to enter into an agreement with the UN World Food Programme (WFP) to deliver up to $452 million in fiscal year (FY) 2025 Food for Peace assistance.
Communications to Congress

Food for Progress Program – FY 2024 Report to Congress