By Laura Ziegler
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kcur/local-kcur-696507.mp3
KANSAS CITY, MO –
(53 sec)
From the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), to Private Voluntary Organizations, to faith based charities like Catholic Relief Services - officials are meeting in Kansas City this week to address record deficits in commodities available for food aid.
Nelson Randall, Chief of the International Procurement Division of USAID in Kansas City, says in his almost 20 years with the agency he can't remember when farm prices were so high, and food-aid stock so low.
"The commodity prices increased so much, it's having a big effect on the amount of food aid dollars available for purchasing processed commodities and supplying the full need for the whole humanitarian food aid program," Randall said.
The USDA and AID are hosting the conference, which is aimed at probing solutions to the crisis.