Approximately half of all U.S. agricultural exports now go to developing economies, mostly countries in Asia. Food assistance programs aimed at long-term food security frequently address the problem of food access issues by targeting rural poverty. These programs might include agricultural development, micro-enterprise credit or other activities. As farmers and other rural residents produce more and earn more, they demand more goods and services, stimulating employment and income generation in other sectors. Moreover, experience has shown that as incomes rise, consumption patterns change.
People consume more meat, milk and processed foods.
Former or current food aid recipients comprised 28 of the 35 top importers of U.S. agricultural products in 1998. Many of our largest trading partners are former aid recipients. It also includes more recent emerging markets such as Mexico, South Korea, Egypt and the Philippines. Foreign assistance promotes the growth, creates linkages and establishes commodity preferences that can lead to more secure trade relationships once a country that makes the transition from aid recipient to trading partner. South Korea is a good example of a country that made that transition.