Message to the Congress Transmitting Annual Report on the Food for Peace Program.

To the Congress of the United States:

I am pleased to transmit to the Congress the 1974 annual report on agricultural export activities carried out under Public Law 480 (Food for Peace). This program has supported the foreign policy and humanitarian objectives of the United States, providing assistance to alleviate hunger and promoting economic progress in the developing nations.

Throughout the year, the Food for Peace program demonstrated its flexibility in a changing agricultural situation. Because of the continuing tightness of commodity supplies in the United States, shipments during the year were somewhat restricted. This was especially true of wheat and wheat product shipments. However, our food donations to the drought-stricken African countries remained substantial. In both East and West Africa, U.S. food aid represented about 40 percent of the total supplied by the international community. The level of U.S. contributions to the World Food Program and the U.S. voluntary agencies was maintained. Title I concessional sales programs were continued in such countries as Bangladesh, Israel, and Pakistan, and in Indochina. New Title I programs were started in Egypt, Syria, and Chile.

The Food for Peace program continues to be a major portion of the overall U.S. foreign aid effort. Concessional sales programs encourage recipient countries to establish self-help objectives, and provide valuable support to economic development. Most of these programs contain provisions for agricultural market development activities, which are being used as conditions warrant, although the need for such activities has lessened because of strong commercial demand. The Title II donation program continues its emphasis on improving the nutrition of pregnant and nursing mothers, babies, and preschool children.

As this report indicates, the Public Law 480 program completed its 20th year of operation continuing to perform its vital role in rendering humanitarian assistance to the disaster-stricken, promoting economic development in the poor nations, contributing to the development and expansion of foreign markets for U.S. agricultural commodities, and supporting our foreign policy objectives around the world. It remains a key element of our foreign assistance program and a vital link in the improving economic relations between this country and the developing world.

GERALD R. FORD

The White House,

January 28, 1976.