With America First, the US can lead the world into a better future
America is at a crossroads. We must decide whether to build on decades of carefully cultivated relationships with two-thirds of the world’s population, to or abandon them.
As the Trump administration examines U.S. development programs, it is critical to remember that the objectives of our efforts are not just humanitarian. From its beginning, U.S. development aid has been designed to advance U.S. interests by promoting market access, innovation and business opportunities; creating a level playing field for U.S. businesses; and supporting more democratic and resilient governance abroad. International development is rooted in America’s greatness and goodness, and American strength is central to world peace.
As the debate around foreign assistance continues, we are reminded of President Ronald Reagan’s foreign policy doctrine of “Peace through strength.” This simple statement recognizes the broader strategic goals of U.S. development initiatives that focus on long-term stability and prosperity, both domestically and internationally.
Reagan, a staunch conservative, was initially skeptical of foreign aid. However, as his time in the White House broadened his hands-on experience in international policy, he embraced the crucial importance of these tools.
At a 1987 White House briefing attended by the authors of this piece, Reagan made a compelling case for helping threatened populations around the globe. “We're helping them open the roads of enterprise and opportunity for their own people, helping them build their own institutions of pluralism and democracy, and helping them defend themselves against externally sponsored pressures and subversion,” he said.
Our nation must build upon the solid work of the past 60 years to design a path forward that strengthens and reinforces our foreign assistance efforts, while continuing to play a central role in helping to advance the nation’s key objectives.
Among these is national security. U.S. development assistance is crucial for building alliances, strengthening U.S. global standing and countering threats, such as China's growing influence in developing nations. By investing in economic development and food security in struggling regions worldwide, we also help alleviate conflict over vital resources and mitigate incentives for illegal migration. All in all, our investment in development contributes to a more secure world.
Another is economic growth. U.S. development improves economies in developing regions, creating new markets for American businesses and promoting the export of our agricultural and manufactured goods and expertise. Investments in this economic growth generate a positive return on U.S. taxpayer dollars by stimulating domestic economic activity. In fact, U.S. exporters of food and agricultural products today regard developing regions of the world as prime targets for market expansion.
A third pertains to migration. U.S. development aid helps to provide a variety of benefits that provide stability to populations that otherwise would be threatened by a range of negative factors, such as hunger, poverty and adverse political developments. Such improvements — nutrition, education, business and technical training and connections — lower the risk of populations being forced to migrate to other regions and countries out of sheer economic, physical and social necessity. Closer to home, providing such aid to our neighbors here in the Western Hemisphere helps improve conditions where they live, curtailing factors that fuel migration across our borders.
There is also food security, since food insecurity fuels global instability. Development programs enhance community resilience to disasters, improve livelihoods for vulnerable populations and prevent the exploitation of hungry individuals by extremist groups, thereby protecting U.S. national security interests.
Closer to home, aid-supported agricultural research benefits American farmers in various ways, from developing improved crop varieties to preventing animal diseases before they reach our shores. At the most fundamental level, we also must not lose sight of the fact that access to food is a human right — one that should be championed by our nation using all the tools at our disposal.
Private-sector partnerships are a key component of development and serve as an indispensable tool in driving wealth creation, sustainable development and increased international trade. Development assistance also fosters fair and open markets, reducing risks for U.S. businesses in emerging economies.
Because U.S. development assistance opens the door to increased U.S. exports to developing regions, it also generates additional trade that creates and supports thousands of American jobs domestically and abroad, advancing the interests of small businesses and corporations alike. Foreign assistance creates a win-win scenario, by fostering partnerships between U.S. and international firms, boosting U.S. economic prosperity while addressing global challenges.
Overall, America’s development motives have remained constant throughout the years. As President Reagan noted nearly 40 years ago, “We are a global power, with global interests and global responsibilities. We can ignore but we cannot escape this basic truth, and any retreat from our responsibilities endangers both our national ideals and our national interests.”
America first means America must lead the way forward for the rest of the world.
John R. Block served as the secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture under President Ronald Reagan. John H. Costello served as the president and co-founder of CNFA, an international agriculture development organization.
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