7 U.S.C. § 1721: General authority

address famine and food crises, and respond to emergency food needs, arising from man-made and natural disasters; combat malnutrition, especially in children and mothers; carry out activities that attempt to alleviate the causes of hunger, mortality and morbidity; promote economic and community development; promote food security and support sound environmental practices; carry out feeding programs; and build resilience to mitigate and prevent food crises and reduce the future need for emergency aid. in planning, decisionmaking, and implementation in providing such assistance, the Administrator takes into consideration local input and participation directly and through United States and indigenous private and voluntary organizations; each of the nonemergency activities described in paragraphs (2) through (6) of section 201 of such Act ( 7 U.S.C. 1721 ), including programs that provide assistance to people of any age group who are otherwise unable to meet their basic food needs (including feeding programs for the disabled, orphaned, elderly, sick and dying), are carried out; and greater flexibility is provided for program and evaluation plans so that such assistance may be developed to meet local needs, as provided for in section 202(f) of such Act ( 7 U.S.C. 1722(f) ). In providing assistance under the Food for Peace Act [ 7 U.S.C. 1691 et seq.], the Secretary of Agriculture and the Administrator of United States Agency for International Development shall ensure that commodities are provided in a manner that is consistent with sections 403(a) and (b) of such Act ( 7 U.S.C. 1733(a) and (b)).”