The Politics of Food

In response to the specter of hunger in many parts of the globe, the Democratic Congress last summer authorized the Republican Administration to make 4.5 million metric tons of U.S. food available to the world's undernourished millions. Yet despite the clear urgency of the need, so far only about one-third of the food has been shipped in the $1.5 billion program, which ends on July 1. It seems a case of Samaritanism at an all too deliberate speed.

The delay has been caused by a familiar but no less forgivable one-two punch from domestic economics and politics. The Administration at first moved slowly as part of its effort to maintain food surpluses in the U.S. that would help drive down U.S. food prices and slow inflation. By January that process was succeeding, but by then Congress and the Administration were at odds over how the food should be distributed abroad.

Congress wanted the supplies to go primarily to the 32 countries designated by the United Nations as those "most severely affected" by famine, while the White House wanted to give special attention to the needs of Cambodia and South Viet Nam, although they were not on the U.N. list. Congress has now won that battle, and in response the Administration has added another 1 million tons to the basket to ensure that there will be enough to go around for Cambodia and South Viet Nam as well. Belatedly, America's good intentions are about to become good deeds.

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