As the Senate Ag Committee prepares to write its version of the 2012 Farm Bill later this month – international relief and development organization Oxfam America released a satirical online video and TV ad Thursday to mobilize support for reform to food aid programs. The video’s message – when kids play with their food – it’s cute. When Washington does – it costs lives.

Oxfam’s Director of Policy and Research Gawain Kripke says regulations ripe for reform include rules that prevent food aid from being purchased from the most cost effective and efficient sources, mandates that require food to be shipped on U.S. flagged vessels and programs which dump U.S.-grown food in development country markets to pay for aid projects.

Kripke says the reforms sought by Oxfam would save taxpayers 500-million dollars a year and get life-saving food aid to an additional 17-million people.

The ad is airing on cable TV programs – such as The Daily Show and The Colbert Report – and is posted on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and other social networks.

Courtesy: NAFB News