Kelli Rogers

On the morning of April 4, 2026, Ferdinand Zangapayda was on the radio. Twice a day, Zangapayda connects with more than 60 remote communities scattered across the Democratic Republic of Congo’s rural Haut-Uélé and Bas-Uélé provinces. The calls are routine but urgent, covering reports of armed group movement, signs of intercommunal tension, or suspicious activity along isolated roads. That morning, one transmission carried devastating news.

At an Aid Report briefing, experts discussed program terminations, the unexpected ways some organizations are adapting, and what it would take to restore peacebuilding as a central pillar of U.S. foreign policy.

Farmers and researchers alike are navigating disruptions that extend far beyond the immediate loss of funding. The Aid Report and Devex journalists break down what these shifts mean across food systems. Sweeping U.S. foreign assistance cuts in 2025 pushed global food systems into triage, disrupting everything from agricultural production to emergency nutrition programs and accelerating a shift away from long-term research and resilience.