Federal Cooperative Agreement Summary

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service awarded a $38.1 million Cooperative Agreement to Improving Economies For Stronger Communities (IESC) on September 23, 2025, under the Food for Progress Program (CFDA 10.606). The agreement, which extends through September 30, 2030, supports agricultural modernization and market systems strengthening initiatives in Vietnam. Under this five-year cooperative agreement, IESC will deliver agricultural productivity improvements, input-supply system development, food safety and trade facilitation infrastructure, and climate-smart agriculture initiatives. These activities align with the Food for Progress Program's core objectives of increasing agricultural productivity and expanding trade of agricultural products in developing countries committed to free-enterprise agricultural systems.

The Food for Progress Program operates by donating U.S. agricultural commodities to eligible recipient countries, where local monetization of these commodities generates proceeds that fund the targeted agricultural development activities. IESC, a Washington, DC-based nonprofit with extensive experience implementing multi-year international agricultural development projects, will serve as the prime recipient responsible for executing this cooperative agreement in Vietnam. This award represents a significant engagement under the program, which has obligated over $3.29 billion across 726 awards since 2005 and reflects the current programmatic shift toward larger, longer-term cooperative agreements.