And Kosovo is just one part of our food aid efforts. Also last week, we announced a shipment of 400,000 tons of food to provide relief to famine victims in North Korea. Earlier this year, we reached an unprecedented food aid agreement with Russia that includes donations and long-term credit sales adding up to 3.2 million tons of grains, meats, oilseeds and other commodities. All told, in 1999 the United States will provide more than 10 million tons of food aid to needy people around the world. That's almost triple the amount we sent last year.
Food aid is as pragmatic as it is humanitarian.
But it also helps build human capital around the world. Well-nourished people are the first step toward a skilled labor pool and a functioning economy that will be a viable commercial partner for the United States. The people we feed today will, tomorrow, be able to buy American goods and services in every other sector. And, of course, there is the added benefit that food aid generates income for our struggling farmers. Food aid and sanctions reform are a few of the tools we have to move food into certain world markets.