Congress also requires that almost all U.S. food aid must be grown domestically, even though it would be far cheaper to buy the grain in the region where it is needed, saving on shipping costs and other overheads, as well as avoiding a delay of about four months in delivery of the food. A study of the 2008 Farm Bill found that local sourcing of food would result in a significant cost saving: 25% on pulses and legumes, and 53% on grains.
