Question

In the early years of the food aid policy popularly know as food for peace, food aid was responsible for roughly how much of the American wheat exports?

Answer 1

In the 1960s, food aid during the Food for Peace program represented about 20% of the American wheat exports, mainly to India, which contributed significantly to the Green Revolution and India's agricultural self-sufficiency.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the early years of the food aid policy known as Food for Peace, food aid constituted a significant portion of the American wheat exports. Specifically, during a crucial period in the 1960s, American farmers were responsible for shipping a fifth of their wheat production to India to combat famine conditions—marking about 20% of American wheat exports.

This assistance was vital for India, which faced dire agricultural challenges as its population was growing rapidly. The infusion of American wheat and the introduction of Borlaug's seed wheat led to India's remarkable agricultural transformation, significantly increasing wheat yields and eventually leading to India being self-sufficient in cereal grains by 1974, and later becoming a net exporter of wheat. This turnaround, part of the Green Revolution, was also facilitated by the use of fertilizers, irrigation, and machinery.