The House Foreign Affairs Committee voted 38-9 today to approve a reauthorization of the Agriculture Department’s international food aid programs.

The provisions will be added to this year’s farm bill (HR 2419), which awaits a markup by the full Agriculture Committee sometime in July. The Foreign Affairs panel shares jurisdiction over food aid programs, which are part of the bill’s trade title.

Aides said the package would represent an increase of $2.5 billion over five years above what was allocated for those Agriculture programs by the 2002 farm law.

Since that law was enacted, Congress has appropriated an average of $2 billion per year for international food aid, according to the Government Accountability Office. That figure includes not only Agriculture Department spending, but also programs under the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Food aid is controversial. Some say the donations are essential for fighting starvation, particularly in Africa and South America. Others contend such aid undercuts agricultural markets abroad, and as long as developing countries can rely on U.S. food donations, they have no reason to advance local farming.

The funding boosts are contingent on whether the two committees can find budget cuts elsewhere.