Public Law 480 And Food Aid Of The Kennedy-Johnson Government

In the period of the cold war, the main time character was the action striving for hegemony between America and Soviet. And the third world country was one of the focal point which both sides competed. Facing the majority of the third world country which economy was poor and weak, the foreign aid had played the extremely vital role as the American important diplomacy tool. As the main constituent of the economic aid, the food aid played the more essential role.In two world wars'period, in order to satisfy the allies, American Government forcefully encouraged the farmers to improve the grain yield. As the result, the problem of the grain surplus in 1950's had been caused, and then urged the Eisenhower government to pass the Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act in July, 1954. It was the 480th public law, which generally was called Public Law 480 in brief, that the 83rd U.S. congress passed. Thus the foreign food aid had officially begun in institution. The ways of the food supply in Public Law 480 were by paid and unpaid. At the beginning of its formulation, the goal was to process the U.S. surplus food. And then Public Law 480 had been amended and made the diplomatic function outstanding. Food for Peace Program began to be known very well. Its main purpose was to take the food aid as one method of the diplomatic policy, draw the third world countries over to its side, and then maintain the world peace, which took the U.S. interest as core in essence.In the early period of Public Law 480, the Eisenhower government considered it as the transition to alleviate the agricultural surplus product temporarily. If the food surplus had gone, Public Law 480 would have existed unnecessarily. But the U.S. food aid had been launched massively in Kennedy time. It was reason that the essence of Food for Peace fit well into his larger vision of a New Frontier, founded by Kennedy. The food aid had further been strengthened in Johnson time, and at the same time Public Law 480 had been amended significantly, changing the processing of the surplus agricultural product to the emphasis of the self-help of the recipient countries, and of the health and nutrition. The multilateral cooperation had been carried out strongly through the International Organizations (i.e. the UN) in Kennedy time.The U.S. food aid to the third world countries, in certain degree, alleviated their food shortage in post war, and promoted its social economic restoration and development. However, the economic depressions had not yet been improved ultimately. As an important constituent of the U.S. foreign policy in the cold war time, the essential goal of food aid policy was to take the food aid as one method of the diplomatic policy and resist the communism country in the recipient countries or areas. As the result, U.S. was at the advantageous position in the cold war.