NORTH KINGSTOWN – It's been an intense last couple of weeks for Edesia Inc.
The Rhode Island-based humanitarian aid organization has seen a stop-work order for production, an inventory pileup and uncertainty over its funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development.
To make matters worse, Edesia President Navyn Salem said it still hasn't seen USAID funding since November 2024, six months after the government agency announced it was allocating $200 million in federal funds for the nonprofit. In 2024 alone, USAID accounted for 85% of Edesia's funding.
However, despite the issues and funding uncertainty, Salem remains hopeful that USAID will soon fulfill its funding commitment so her organization can continue to help feed the world's most deprived populations.
"We're literally waiting by the telephones," Salem said. "They might pay us today, we're actually that hopeful."
The nonprofit, which was founded in 2010, employs more than 150 team members who produce specialized foods that target malnutrition.
On Jan. 28, Edesia had to stop production of its flagship product, Plumpy'Nut – a peanut-based paste that has saved 25 million lives in 65 countries – for several days after USAID issued a stop-work order for all of its contractors following President Donald Trump's executive order freezing foreign aid.
Pallets of the product sat inside Edesia's warehouses instead of going to malnourished children across the globe. Each week, Edesia produces 800 metric tons of Plumpy’Nut and other foods, which equates to about $2 million worth of product per week, Salem said.
That stop-work order was rescinded on Feb. 6 and deliveries resumed after a U.S. federal judge told the Trump administration to restore foreign aid funding that had been paused pending a 90-day review.
Salem is now optimistic that the company will soon be compensated for its last several months of humanitarian work, as local and national powerbrokers intervene on its behalf. Members the R.I. congressional delegation vocally criticized Trump for targeting the North Kingstown-based organization.
"What kind of government refuses to pay its debts? One led by a five-time bankrupt billionaire, I suppose," Rep. Gabe Amo, D-R.I., said at a House Committee on Foreign Affairs hearing on Feb. 13. "It’s mind-boggling. This food aid was funded – some of it was already purchased – and it is ready to feed starving people."
Funding outside of USAID does exist for Edesia, and the organization has received sizable donations in years past. In 2023, Edesia received a $137 million donation from the Bezos family, who are the parents of Amazon.com Inc. founder and Executive Chairman Jeff Bezos. Last year, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints donated $5 million to the nonprofit.
But Salem says those funds have already been spent or spoken for budget-wise.
While that means the company presently does not have to lay off staff, it also means its ability to continue producing lifesaving therapeutic foods in Rhode Island remains uncertain, Salem says.
"We're a Rhode Island company, and we help to feed the world's neediest populations. Rhode Islanders should take pride in that," Salem said. "We are incredibly proud to send these products from the Ocean State, but we also can't wait to get them out of here."
For those interested in helping Edesia feed the world, donations can be made through the
company website. Salem says that the Bezos Family Foundation will be matching every contribution in an effort to offset the damage of the USAID funding freeze.
(Updated company name to Edesia Inc.)
