Legislation funds the FTF program at a minimum level of 0.4 percent of P.L. 480 funds for the period of the Farm Bill. The objective of the FTF program is to use short-term U.S. volunteers to provide agricultural technical assistance to developing countries worldwide. Under its current phase, approximately 3,750 FTF volunteers are expected to serve in 33 focus countries, including all 12 of the New Independent States of the former Soviet Union, and 21 other countries including six in Africa, five in the Asia and Near East region, and ten in Latin America and the Caribbean. The program utilizes the expertise of U.S. farmers, agriculturalists, land grant universities, private agribusiness and non-profit farm organizations on a voluntary basis in response to local needs identified by host country farmers and organizations. FTF volunteers are not overseas as development professionals but rather individuals who have domestic careers, farms and agribusiness, or are retirees who want to participate in development efforts.
Volunteers normally spend about a month in a country.
FTF volunteers have come from 49 of the 50 states. Over the last five years, FTF volunteers completed more than 3,700 assignments in more than 80 countries worldwide. The FTF volunteer worked with the Brother's Brothers Foundation Asgrow Seed and other holding and shipping companies assisted in getting the seed to Georgia. The new private farmers organization distributed the seed, and the FTF volunteer trained the farmers on improved techniques of planting and harvesting. Production yields expanded 2-3 times, and now more than 2,000 farmers are believers in U.S. hybrid seeds.