On this day in history.....Eisenhower proposes UN World Food Program

It was fifty years ago today that President Dwight Eisenhower, in a speech before the UN General Assembly, proposed the basic idea of a World Food Program to fight hunger.

During Ike's administration the U.S. had surplus food. The U.S. moved this food abroad to help feed the hungry in countries around the globe. This took many forms, like wheat and rice for India or food for flood victims in Austria and Pakistan. In war-recovering Italy and Japan there were massive school lunch programs supported through Food for Peace.

This U.S. assistance helped to enhance stability in countries suffering from food shortages. Listen to Eisenhower describe Food for Peace.

Having an international version of Food for Peace was the aim of creating a UN food agency. Surplus producing nations could then contribute the food to a World Food Program for distribution to the hungry.

Here is the text of the Eisenhower proposal on September, 22nd 1960

Beyond this, we must never forget that there are hundreds of millions of people, particularly in the less developed parts of the world, suffering from hunger and malnutrition, even though a number of countries, my own included, are producing food in surplus. This paradox should not be allowed to continue. The United States is already carrying out substantial programs to make its surpluses available to countries of greatest need. My country is also ready to join with other members of the United Nations in devising a workable scheme to provide food to member states through the United Nations system, relying on the advice and assistance of the Food and Agriculture Organization.  

I hope this Assembly will seriously consider a specific program for carrying forward the promising Food for Peace Program.

It was not until the Kennedy administration several months later that the UN World Food Program kicked off. Listen to the audio of Kennedy make the announcement in April, 1961. Then Food for Peace director George McGovern played a key role in getting the ball rolling.

Now today the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) feeds the hungry in 70 countries. It is the largest humanitarian organization in the world. The U.S. Food for Peace program continues to provide food through WFP.