New Food for Progress Projects to Support Agricultural Development and Trade in Africa and Central America

Contact: FAS Food Assistance Division (202) 720-4221

WASHINGTON, Aug. 24 2015—The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) today announced that six agricultural development projects supported through the Food for Progress Program in fiscal year 2015 will potentially benefit more than 1.1 million people in Benin, Ghana and the Dominican Republic.

“Food for Progress is an important tool in our efforts to strengthen agricultural production and promote trade in developing nations. The program helps countries increase the value and output of their agricultural economy and build their trade capacity,” said FAS Administrator Phil Karsting.

Through Food for Progress, FAS donates U.S. commodities to foreign governments and private organizations, which then sell the products on the local market and use the proceeds to support agricultural, economic or infrastructure development programs.

This year, FAS will donate more than 200,000 metric tons of U.S.-produced corn, rice, soybean meal and vegetable oil. The proceeds will assist six organizations that will work with local farmers, cooperatives, exporters and others on projects to improve agricultural production, food processing, food safety and quality, and marketing and distribution.

The six new Food for Progress projects being supported by FAS in fiscal year 2015 are in addition to 66 projects ongoing in 26 countries. For more information about the program, visit www.fas.usda.gov/programs/food-progress.