Save USAID

At first glance, cutting foreign aid might seem like a smart move for a country trying to focus inward. But when we dig deeper, especially into the story of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the picture is far more complex—and far more dangerous. While headlines talk about billions spent overseas, what often goes unnoticed is just how much of that spending directly benefits American industries, American jobs, and yes—American security. The recent budget slashes to USAID, driven by “America First” rhetoric, might be one of the most short-sighted policy moves in recent memory.

USAID Wasn’t Just Charity—It Was Strategy

For over six decades, USAID played a pivotal role in combating global hunger, disease, and poverty—not just as an act of charity, but as a smart investment in global stability and America’s own economy. This wasn’t just about feeding starving children in faraway countries. It was also about supporting U.S. farmers, researchers, businesses, and foreign policy objectives.

Take the Food for Peace program, for example. It bought surplus food from American farmers—like soybean oil from Iowa and wheat from Kansas—and sent it to countries facing food insecurity. That’s $2 billion in guaranteed income for American agriculture every year. When that funding got slashed, millions of dollars’ worth of food sat stranded at ports in Houston, Miami, and Chicago, at risk of spoiling. Back in Kansas, one co-op had 1.5 million bushels of sorghum and no buyers. This wasn’t just a foreign problem. It hit rural America right at home.

American Research Halted, Innovation Stalled

USAID funding didn’t just go overseas—it fueled research and development across American universities. Institutions like Purdue, Kansas State, and the University of Illinois used this money to study climate-resilient crops and prevent the spread of agricultural diseases. When the funding dried up, labs closed, staff were laid off, and projects that could’ve helped American farmers adapt to climate change were abandoned.

The Soybean Innovation Lab, which developed disease-resistant soybean strains for use globally, had to shut down. Why does that matter? Because the very knowledge they were producing—how to grow crops in dry, hot, unpredictable conditions—is exactly what U.S. farmers will need in a warming world.

Cheap Coffee, Chocolate, and Tires? Thank USAID

Think your morning cup of coffee is just a personal ritual? Think again. USAID helped stabilize the supply chains that make it possible. It worked with coffee farmers in Africa and South America to fight crop diseases and ensure a steady flow of beans to U.S. roasters. The same goes for cacao in Ghana and Ecuador (hello, chocolate bars), and spices like vanilla and cinnamon from Indonesia. McCormick—the spice giant—benefited directly from this, as did rubber producers that supply the U.S. tire industry.

When you cut USAID, you don't just cut aid abroad—you shake the foundation of industries right here in the U.S. Supply chain disruptions don’t just affect Wall Street—they hit the checkout line at your local grocery store and tire shop.

National Security at Risk

There’s also a hard truth that gets buried under the political noise: food insecurity breeds instability, and instability breeds extremism. USAID programs helped prevent exactly that. When famine loomed in the Horn of Africa, it was USAID’s Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) that predicted and responded, saving up to a million lives. That system, largely operated by American company Chemonics, went offline due to cuts. Now, global humanitarian response is flying blind.

And it’s not just about helping others. In places like Syria and Nigeria, groups like ISIS and Boko Haram exploit hunger, using food to recruit fighters. USAID support helped maintain camps holding 10,000 suspected ISIS fighters. Weakening this infrastructure doesn’t just fail foreign allies—it opens the door for a terrorist resurgence.

Global Health Is Local Health

The Trump administration’s rollback of 10,000+ health grants—including outbreak surveillance—came at a time when global diseases were on the rise. USAID had programs to track avian flu in 49 countries. That work isn’t charity—it’s an early warning system for pandemics. Without it, we don’t see the next threat until it's already knocking on our door.

The global COVID-19 pandemic showed how interconnected health really is. Ignoring outbreaks abroad is like ignoring smoke in your neighbor’s house when you live in an apartment building—it’s only a matter of time before it spreads.

The Bottom Line

USAID represented a fraction of the federal budget—just 0.7%. But cutting it has triggered a cascade of unintended consequences: from rising food prices and shuttered research labs to increased security threats and public health risks. The myth that foreign aid only helps foreigners couldn’t be more wrong.

By investing in global development, we were investing in American strength—economic, strategic, and moral. Now that those investments are gone or drastically reduced, we may soon find that the cost of saving a few dollars was far greater than we thought.