NSDD 156 United States Third World Food Aid: A "Food for Progress" Program

UNCLASSIFIED CONFIDENTIAE SYSTEM II 91256 THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON January 3, 1985 NATIONAL SECURITY DECISION DIRECTIVE NUMBER 156 U.S. THIRD WORLD FOOD AID: A "FOOD FOR PROGRESS" PROGRAM (U) NSSD 1-84 established the terms of reference for a study aimed at producing new, effective initiatives to address Third and World hunger problems; that is, both emergency situations food programs affect these cases. The NSSD 1-84 study in of emergency long-term problems, and how U.S. and donor country aid food aid was completed in July 1984 and resulted a ten-point program to better respond to grave food crises, as articulated in NSDD 143. Today's food emergency reemphasizes the need to tackle the underlying structural problems of agricultural stagnation in the Third World. (U) The study of non-emergency food aid has focused on how U.S. food aid could be used as an incentive for Third World coun- tries to increase their food production through agricultural reform, noting that an adequate agricultural sector is a prerequisite for development in Third World countries. This study has considered the economic and political conditions short- in many Third World countries experiencing chronic food ages. (U) Socialist economic systems, prevalent in underdeveloped countries, have failed to achieve economic growth. As a result of this, and insufficient aid by the USSR, an increas- number of Third World countries once dominated by the ing socialist model are experimenting with free market approaches. (C) There are currently two major programs designed to support economic and agricultural policy changes in Africa: The African Economic Policy Initiative, a 5-year, $500 million program intended to support economic reform in Africa. First-year funding of $75 million was provided by the Congress in the Economic Support Fund in 1985. (U) Title III of the . L. 480 food aid program, which has thus far not generated meaningful agricultural policy reform in Africa. (U) ment will begin a new foreign aid initiative to be called In response to this policy context, the United States Govern- 75191