Restore USAID funding for sustainable agriculture initiatives globally

The Trump administration's review of USAID programs has resulted in a blanket funding freeze that is disrupting critical development work worldwide, including a $19 million University of Nebraska-led initiative to promote sustainable agriculture among smallholder farmers in Africa and Latin America. This holistic funding pause undermines U.S. leadership in addressing major global challenges like food insecurity, poverty, and economic instability - the very conditions that breed discontent and expand the influence of U.S. rivals. While oversight is prudent, indiscriminately halting initiatives that advance American interests and assist vulnerable populations is counterproductive to long-term peace and prosperity. Reinstating full USAID funding would uphold this nation's proud legacy of using development assistance as a tool of diplomacy to project influence, open markets, and lift people out of poverty - an investment that pays substantial dividends back home through new trade and economic opportunities. I urge you to call for the restoration of these vital funds so impactful programs providing agricultural training, food security, and tools for self-sufficiency can resume serving the interests of both the United States and the developing world.