Farm Bill is vital to world peace

When we hear about the Farm Bill we think of Congress negotiating in Washington, D.C. on this major legislation that impacts agriculture. But think of the Farm Bill in a different way.

Imagine a small child in war-torn Yemen suffering from malnutrition, wasting away because there is not enough food. The family does not have any hope except for the help of a humanitarian relief agency.

The starving child's family is given a box with a nutritious peanut paste called Plumpy’Nut. This small child, near the brink of death, starts to eat this food and is saved. Slowly the child begins to regain health. This lifesaving food aid is made possible by the Farm Bill.

Picture a family in the Democratic Republic of the Congo who have been forced from their homes because of conflict. They have lost everything. In a displaced people camp they receive rations from the U.N. World Food Program. This food sustains them in the hardest of times. This is more lifesaving food aid made possible by the Farm Bill.

Think of the child in Haiti, a land torn by violence and instability, being able to go to school and receive a free lunch from the World Food Program. That lunch is their only real meal of the day. This life-changing aid is made possible by the Farm Bill.

The Farm Bill supports global hunger relief. What happens on the Farm Bill impacts lives everywhere. The Farm Bill can help determine whether nations will have stability and peace.

The upcoming Farm Bill is critical legislation where Democrats and Republicans need to work together. The current Farm Bill is set to expire Sept. 30. The new Farm Bill must reauthorize key aid programs like Food for Peace and the McGovern-Dole global school lunch initiative.

Food is the essential ingredient to peace and stability for any nation. That is why President Dwight Eisenhower, when speaking of global food aid, urged people to “put their hearts and minds into this effort.”

That is what Congress should do and craft a Farm Bill that will fight global hunger and encourage peace.

The Congress must realize that hunger emergencies are becoming more frequent and severe. Drought in the Horn of Africa and conflicts in Yemen, Sudan, D.R. Congo and other nations is worsening hunger. The war in Ukraine has placed great strain on a major food source for the world.

The World Food Program is facing funding shortages for many of its relief operations. The U.S. and the international community are going to have to step up the response to hunger or famine will potentially occur in some nations.

Catholic Relief Services is asking citizens to "Urge Congress to prioritize timely passage of the 2023 Farm Bill and to reauthorize existing international programs that address immediate hunger needs and support long-term solutions."

We can each encourage Democrats and Republicans to work together and continue and strengthen our tradition of fighting hunger around the world.

William Lambers is an author who partnered with the U.N. World Food Program on the book Ending World Hunger.