The American Peanut Council met with two United Nations’ agencies in Rome recently to discuss priorities related to the use of U.S. peanuts in life-saving food assistance. The meetings with the World Food Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organization explored opportunities supporting APC’s work with peanut-based, ready-to-use therapeutic food in underdeveloped countries.
The WFP and FAO meetings focused on the possibility of future collaboration on RUTF production, APC’s role in supporting RUTF producers in the United States and potential challenges for both U.S. growers and global food assistance efforts stemming from the closure of U.S. Agency for International Development. Both UN agencies work together to promote food security around the world.
“Supporting and promoting U.S. peanuts in RUTF is an important part of APC’s export promotion work. Meetings with the UN were both informative and timely,” said APC President and CEO Richard Owen. “Since peanuts are the primary ingredient in most RUTF, a substantial amount of U.S. peanut production is dedicated to producing the therapeutic food, which aids in global malnutrition efforts while generating job opportunities in underserved U.S. communities.”
In fiscal year 2024, USAID purchased more than $154 million of RUTF and ready-to-use supplemental food produced in the United States, which included approximately 13,000 metric tons of U.S. peanuts. As the tumult at USAID unfolds, production of these products is continuing for now. However, without clear direction regarding the U.S. government’s involvement in international food assistance, it is uncertain how peanut-based products might be purchased and distributed in the future.
“Going forward, we are hopeful to find ways to continue the U.S. production of RUTF, while also exploring other avenues of collaboration,” continued Owen. “The meetings with the WFP and FAO were a positive step.”
RUTF is a micronutrient paste that has treated millions of children threatened by severe wasting, the most dangerous form of malnutrition. Globally, one in five deaths among children under the age of five is attributed to severe wasting, making it one of the top threats to child survival. With the use of RUTF, treatment recovery rates for children have achieved 95%.
