The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced the award of 20,000 metric tons of wheat under administration of the Food for Peace program for emergency feeding efforts in East Africa.

The award totals approximately 735,000 bushels of wheat and will be delivered through the World Food Program as part of emergency feeding programs in the region. Shipments are expected later this summer alongside other commodities, including rice and sorghum.

“We appreciate the efforts of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Luke Lindberg and their teams for their hard work to bring this first award of wheat under the USDA’s administration of the Food for Peace program,” said Dalton Henry, U.S. Wheat Associates vice president of communications and policy.

Amanda Hoey, chief executive officer of the Oregon Wheat Commission and chair of the USW Food Aid Working Group, said the shipment represents the beginning of what the industry hopes will be continued activity under USDA oversight of the program.

“Through this program, we reaffirm to the world that the United States is more than a seller of grain, but a dedicated partner in feeding millions of hungry people around the world,” Hoey said.

Food for Peace, also known as Public Law 480, was signed into law in 1954 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Since its inception, U.S.-grown wheat has remained a major commodity in food assistance programs, often accounting for roughly half of bulk in-kind food aid and using around one million metric tons of U.S. wheat annually.

In December 2025, USDA and the U.S. Department of State signed an interagency agreement transferring administration of the Food for Peace program to USDA. USDA already administers other in-kind international feeding initiatives, including the McGovern-Dole Food for Education Program and the Food for Progress Program.

Food for Peace is authorized through the Farm Bill and falls under the jurisdiction of agricultural appropriations subcommittees. A permanent transfer of the program’s administration to USDA would require congressional approval.

“The USDA’s administration of the Food for Peace program aligns with the agency’s agricultural focus and technical expertise for this flagship program,” Henry said. “We look forward to the continuation of the program’s successful track record of humanitarian assistance, including those who will be future customers for U.S. wheat farmers.”

USDA also announced a second tranche of Food for Peace funding. Under the Notice of Funding Opportunity, USDA will accept applications from feeding programs operating in the Democratic Republic of Congo, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Haiti, Kenya and Rwanda.

“USDA is working to return Food for Peace to its core functions,” said Michelle Bekkering, deputy under secretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs. “This funding will more responsibly deliver lifesaving food assistance with high-quality American commodities, helping American farmers and producers at home and people in need across the world.”

Source: U.S. Wheat Associates, U.S. Wheat Associates Welcomes USDA Announcement of Food for Peace Program Award, Additional Funding