17-02-2025
Shortsighted DOGE USAID cuts hurt Wisconsin farmers, weaken national security
Growing up in rural Western Wisconsin, farms and farmers were central to my community. From afterschool meetings of Future Farmers of America to my best friend's complaints about having to milk cows every Sunday morning before church, agriculture was woven into daily life. After college, I worked for (now retired) Congressman Ron Kind and was honored to do my part supporting his efforts in Washington to protect Wisconsin farmers' livelihoods.
I then went on to work in the U.S. intelligence community, where I was exposed to a global understanding of food and farming. I saw firsthand how food insecurity in Africa and the Middle East helped terrorists and extremists recruit hungry young men – and how U.S. food aid, which in large part comes from American farmers, could reverse this trend.
It is because of these life experiences that I am so concerned by the Trump Administration's shortsighted effort to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and cut U.S. foreign aid, both of which harm Wisconsin agriculture and food security globally.
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This action is a reversal of decades of bipartisan support for programs that provide global food aid and prevent starvation, precisely because such programs help American farmers, help those most in need, and prevent conflict and instability that threatens our national security.
American farmers, including Wisconsin farmers, have played a critical role in saving lives globally since the Food for Peace program was established by President John F. Kennedy. In 2024, USAID purchased $2 billion in U.S.-grown crops for humanitarian aid, such as corn, soybeans, wheat, sorghum, vegetable oil and peas.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison is a key partner for USAID's Feed the Future Innovation Lab, helping train agricultural researchers around the world and research new seeds. In the past decade, Feed the Future has reduced hunger and poverty by 20 to 25 percent in targeted areas, with over 6 million producers newly using better agricultural practices in 2023 alone.
Of course, these innovations not only support communities abroad, but can also be put to use right in UW-Madison's backyard to make farmers more resilient to increasing hazards such as heatwaves and extreme precipitation.
Right now, however, Feed the Future is suspended. A report from the USAID Inspector General released on Feb. 10 found that $489 million of food assistance at ports, in transit, and in warehouses, including food from Midwestern farmers is at risk of spoiling and diversion before it can be used to help hungry communities. Programs that leverage U.S. agricultural innovation to help small-scale farmers in East Africa and the Sahel have stopped, much to the delight of extremist groups and U.S. adversaries Russia and China.
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Should parts of USAID be reformed or revisited? Certainly. But shutting down the entire agency in less than two weeks is not the way to do it. I know Wisconsinites are proud of the role our farm industry plays in supporting food security and preventing starvation worldwide. The Wisconsin Congressional delegation has consistently stood up for Wisconsin farmers, and they must do the same today by opposing this reckless destruction of these life-saving and economically important food aid programs.
Erin Sikorsky grew up in Holmen, WI and her family spends summers in Spring Green, WI. She previously worked for Congressman Ron Kind and the US intelligence community for more than a decade, and now directs the Center for Climate and Security in Washington, DC.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Cuts to USAID hurt Wisconsin. Congress must support farmers. | Opinion
