Media CenterCRS Commends House Farm Bill for International Food Assistance Provisions

BALTIMORE, MD, Updated December 21, 2018 – Catholic Relief Services (CRS) has joined more than two dozen U.S.-based charities, including Catholic and other faith-based organizations, in praising the bipartisan House Farm Bill, which includes many provisions that affect food and agriculture assistance for the poor around the world.

In one of two related statements, CRS joined the Catholic aid community in lauding members of the House for safeguarding funding for vital U.S. food assistance programs like Food for Peace, Food for Progress, Farmer to Farmer and McGovern-Dole.

The Catholic group states, “Together, these programs reduce famine, improve livelihoods of small farmers so they can feed their families, help school children excel in their studies, and leverage the expertise of American volunteers to support food security outcomes for our poorest brothers and sisters overseas.”

In a separate statement CRS signed on to with other international aid agencies, the group highlights the growing need for U.S.-funded food assistance as 83 million people across 46 countries are expected to experience acute food insecurity in 2019.  

“International food security programs authorized in the Farm Bill are vital to addressing the challenge of hunger worldwide,” it says.

The Senate passed the compromise Farm Bill in a vote of 87-13, and the House passed it in a vote of 369-47. President Trump signed the bill into law yesterday. 

Read the two statements:

Catholic Aid Community Statement on the Farm Bill
NGO Statement of Support for the Farm Bill

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Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. The agency alleviates suffering and provides assistance to people in need in more than 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality. CRS’ relief and development work is accomplished through programs of emergency response, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance and peacebuilding. For more information, please visit crs.org or crsespanol.org and follow CRS on social media: Facebook, @CatholicRelief, @CRSnews, YouTube, Instagram and Pinterest.