The project will be financed through the sale of 33,000 metric tons of US-grown soybean meal and wheat. It will be implemented by Counterpart International and is expected to benefit around 5,000 people.
The grant is part of an $825 million package of international food assistance investments announced by the USDA under the “America First” banner. The funding is divided among three programs: Food for Peace, McGovern-Dole Food for Education and Food for Progress. The initiatives will involve substantial purchases of agricultural products grown in the United States.
According to the USDA, the investments aim to help vulnerable populations, support American farmers and producers, and strengthen the United States’ agricultural influence around the world. They are also intended to safeguard international food security and develop future trading partners.
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“When we share America’s abundance with those in need around the world, the producers who make it possible benefit as well,” said Michelle Bekkering, deputy undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs.
She said relying on American sourcing and transportation allows humanitarian assistance to create opportunities in the United States. These efforts, she added, save lives and help countries move “from dependence to self-reliance,” while ensuring a return on investment for American taxpayers.
Seven countries included in Food for Progress
Under Food for Progress, the USDA will purchase 311,650 metric tons of US agricultural products. The purchases are intended to modernize value chains, strengthen science-based trade and support reliable trading partners.
Besides Morocco, the program covers Bangladesh, Bolivia, Ecuador, Sri Lanka, Thailand and the Philippines.
The other two programs target different regions. Food for Peace provides for the purchase of around 129,000 metric tons of products for emergency food assistance in Ethiopia, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Haiti.
For this initiative, the USDA has signed preliminary agreements for an additional $357 million across eight projects. This funding comes on top of $687 million in emergency assistance already committed: $452 million for the World Food Programme on February 3, 2026, and $235 million under a preliminary agreement with Catholic Relief Services on July 14, 2026.
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The McGovern-Dole program, meanwhile, provides for the purchase of 62,150 metric tons of products for seven five-year projects in Bolivia, Cambodia, Ecuador, Guinea, Honduras, Liberia and Timor-Leste.
The program will provide school meals at 6,415 schools to improve literacy and attendance. According to the USDA, it will also introduce 1.2 million children and their families to American agricultural products.
