Ever since the Trump Administration abruptly dismantled the U.S. Agency for International Development, emergency food supplies have been piling up at the North Kingstown warehouse of Edesia Nutrition.
As of last week, Edesia had stockpiled more than 120,000 boxes of Plumpy’Nut, a specially formulated mixture of ground peanuts, powdered milk, sugar and oil created to meet the nutritional needs of severely malnourished children.
Plumpy’Nut is made here in Rhode Island from ingredients grown by American farmers and shipped in American trucks. Three foil packets of Plumpy’Nut contain enough nutrition to feed a hungry child for a day — 1,500 calories. Each box contains a six week supply — enough to save a single human life.
But there’s no viable way right now to get it to the people who need it.
The Trump Administration’s sudden shutdown of USAID froze the funding to pay for production, transportation and distribution.
According to CEO Navyn Salem, the company has yet to receive full payment for product the government purchased last year. Facing a $20 million deficit, she’s had to lay off 10% of her workforce.
The Trump administration had promised to continue emergency food aid programs, shifting them over to the State Department to manage.
At the House Foreign Affairs committee this week, Rhode Island Congressman Gabe Amo grilled Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“Will you commit to continue to fund the production, transportation and distribution of this domestically-produced life-saving product to save starving children?” Amo demanded.
Rubio responded, “They’re approved now.”
Amo snapped back, “They’re not moving.”
Rubio insisted the Trump Administration is still committed to restoring the program. But Amo noted the bureaucratic confusion has left the whole supply chain in chaos.
Amo promised to keep pestering Rubio.
“I’m going to call him,” he said in an interview, “This week, next week, the week after that — until I get the answer.”
Congressman Seth Magaziner is also keeping up the pressure. He has stood up on the House floor every day for more than a week to speak on the issue.
His message is simple: “Please restore emergency food aid.”
Global hunger has long been a worldwide concern. It’s especially acute in major conflict zones. At present, according to the World Food Program, nearly 2 million people are facing “catastrophic hunger” in places like Gaza and Sudan. Malnutrition is a problem in more than 74 countries worldwide.
