RS21234 -- The Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust: Background and Current Issues
Updated April 17, 2003

	The Emerson Trust

The Africa Seeds of Hope Act of 1998 amended Title III of the Agricultural Act of 1980 by replacing the Food Security Commodity Reserve (FSCR) and itspredecessor, the Food Security Wheat Reserve (FSWR), with the Bill Emerson Trust. (1)
The purpose of the Trust is "solely to meet emergency humanitarianfood needs in developing countries..."(Section 302, 7 U.S.C. The legislation authorizes the Trust to holdup to 4 million metric tons of wheat, corn,sorghum and rice. Taking into account previously unreplenished releases from the Trust and 4 recent releases ofcommodities for use in Africa and Iraq,approximately 1.1 million metric tons of wheat remain in the Trust. 480 foreign food aid programs. A commodity in the Trust may be exchanged for another U.S. commodity ofequal value. 480 funds. The Act allowed wheat from thereserve to be used in the P.L. 480 commitments when supplies were short and threetimes to meet unanticipated emergency needs. Experience with Reimbursement and Replenishment. The 1996 release also was not replenished. With respect to releases from the Trust in FY2002 and FY2003, the Emergency Wartime Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2003 ( P.L.
The Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust is becoming a critical component of the U.S.response to humanitarian foodemergencies in Africa, Iraq, and elsewhere. The Trust, as presently constituted, was enacted in the 1998 AfricaSeeds of Hope Act (P.L. 105-385). It replacedthe Food Security Commodity Reserve established in 1996 and its predecessor the Food Security Wheat Reserveof 1980. The Trust is a reserve of up to 4million metric tons of wheat, corn, sorghum and rice that can be used to help fulfill P.L. 480 food aid commitmentsto developing countries under twoconditions: (1) to meet unanticipated emergency needs in developing countries, or (2) when U.S. domestic suppliesare short. The Trust can also hold funds. Administration proposals to reduce food aid's reliance on surplus commodities and anticipated demand foremergency food aid have focused renewed attentionon the Emerson Trust, which has been used four times in FY2002 and FY2003 to meet unanticipated food needsin Africa and Iraq. About 1.1 million metrictons of wheat remain in the Trust. As the Trust is drawn down, reimbursement and replenishment of the Trust forcommodities released become importantissues. This report will be updated as developments occur.