Public Law 480 And The Food Aid Policy Of Eisenhower Administration(1953-1961)

Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act which is called Public Law 480 was enacted in July 1954.It represented the institutionalization of American food aid.Most of the academic study of America food aid was concentrated in the Kennedy period.But this article believes that the Eisenhower period has laid the tone of American food aid.Based on the Foreign Relationship of United State and other data,this paper is going to analysis the background of Public Law 480,explore the food aid policy of the Eisenhower administration,and reveal the inner logic of the American food aid policy.Through the analysis of USA diplomatic archives,this article is going to discusses Eisenhower government's food aid policy.It mainly consists of two parts.Firstly,it is about Public Law 480 which was passed by the first term of Eisenhower administration.During this period,the basic mission of Public Law 480 was a temporary tool to deal with the agricultural surplus products at home,which was correspondence with Eisenhower government's principle of "trade not aid".Secondly,it is about the adjustment of the food aid policy during the second term of Eisenhower administration,namely,Public Law 480 Amendment Act 1959.On the one hand,the food surplus goods problem domestically was still severe,but the Public Law 480 was very fruitful in solving the food surplus problem.On the other hand,American food aid thought changed and began to treat food as a tool of foreign policy.The third chapter is going to take American food aid in India as an example which helps to reveal change of food aid policy of Eisenhower administration.Lastly,this article is going to have a comment of food aid policy during Eisenhower administration.This paper argues that food aid policy was born with economic,political and diplomatic function from the very beginning.First of all,it solves the problem of food surplus problem and promotes the development of agricultural economy in America.Secondly,it laid the foundation of American food aid policy.The food aid projects of successive governments after Eisenhower are carried out in the framework of the Public Law 480.Finally,the formulation and adjustment of public law 480 is the result of USA foreign policy,economic development goals,and domestic political situation.