The $1.2 Billion Ghost Kitchen: How The U.S. Blew A Fortune On Global Food Fights It Can't Even Track
A GAO report reveals the State Department spent $1.2B to counter China, much of it impacting the food supply, with no clear data or results. A story of ghost ki
By Foodie Pundit Newsroom - Published - Updated - Section: Food Safety
Key points
- The U.S. government has spent over $1.2 billion on 470 projects to counter Chinese influence since 2020 with alarmingly poor record-keeping.
- An internal working group approved funding without a formal process for seeking input from regional or subject-matter experts, risking project effectiveness.
- Officials lack reliable data on project timelines, goals, and even what specific activities were funded for nearly a third of all proposals.
- The agencies have no framework to assess whether the massive expenditure has achieved any of its goals, leaving future funding decisions blind.
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Sources and methodology
Reported from primary records. Open any source to verify a claim.
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