Congress May Restore Food for Peace Program Under USDA

The program, which started in Kansas, provides foreign aid and supports sorghum farmers

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

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When the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which included the Food for Peace program, was shut down by Elon Musk, it resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths from infectious diseases and malnutrition. Now, Congress is considering restoring the Food for Peace program under the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) through the farm bill, which would benefit Kansas sorghum farmers who lost a major market.

Why it matters

The Food for Peace program, which started in Kansas in 1953, provided financial support to Kansas sorghum farmers in addition to delivering foreign aid. Its shutdown resulted in a major loss of market for Kansas sorghum farmers, highlighting the program's importance to both humanitarian efforts and the state's agricultural economy.

The details

The Food for Peace program, which was part of USAID, was shut down last year after Elon Musk reportedly said the agency should be "fed into the wood chipper." This resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths from infectious diseases and malnutrition, according to Harvard professor Atul Gawande. Now, Congress is considering restoring the program under the USDA through the upcoming farm bill, which would help rebuild the market for Kansas sorghum farmers who lost a major buyer when the program was eliminated.

  • In February 2025, Rep. Tracey Mann and Sen. Jerry Moran introduced legislation to move Food for Peace to the USDA, but the bills did not gain traction.
  • On February 12, 2026, the House Agriculture Committee unveiled the new farm bill, with markup scheduled to begin on February 23 but delayed due to weather.
  • As of March 3, 2026, the farm bill markup was scheduled to begin that afternoon.

The players

Atul Gawande

A surgeon, author, and distinguished professor in residence at Ariadne Labs, who previously served in the Biden administration as the assistant administrator for global health at USAID.

Elon Musk

The billionaire who reportedly said USAID should be "fed into the wood chipper", leading to the shutdown of the agency and the Food for Peace program.

Nick Levendofsky

The executive director of the Kansas Farmers Union, who hopes the restoration of Food for Peace under the USDA will help rebuild the market for Kansas sorghum farmers.

Peter O'Brien

The Cheyenne County farmer who shared the idea of using America's agricultural surpluses to fight world hunger, expand international trade and advance foreign diplomacy, leading to the creation of the Food for Peace program in 1953.

Andy Schoeppel

The U.S. Senator from Kansas who sponsored the legislation that led to the creation of the Food for Peace program in 1954.

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What they’re saying

“It's my hope that with Food for Peace coming back under the USDA now, that eventually we can build that market back up and get more grain sorghum out to people who need it all over the world. But it's going to take time. It's going to take a long time to get the logistics all straightened out and build up all of the capacity that's needed.”

— Nick Levendofsky, Executive Director, Kansas Farmers Union (gbtribune.com)

What’s next

If the farm bill is passed, it would transfer the Food for Peace program from USAID to the USDA, which could help restore the market for Kansas sorghum farmers who lost a major buyer when the program was shut down.

The takeaway

The potential restoration of the Food for Peace program under the USDA highlights the importance of the program not only for providing humanitarian aid globally, but also for supporting the agricultural economy in Kansas, the leading producer of grain sorghum in the United States.