This paper explores the empirical relationship between U.S. food aid flows per capita and nonconcessional food availability per capita in PL 480 recipient economies. The evidence suggests PL 480, while modestly progressive in its distribution, is if anything procyclical in recipient economies. Food aid fails to stabilize food availability. Both increased domestic food production – i.e., agricultural development – and commercial trade appear more effective than food aid in advancing food security objectives through the stabilization of food availability per capita in low-income economies.