Commitment To Global Food Security

The leaders of the world's eight major economies, in a meeting with the European Union and 10 invited nations in Latin America and Africa, renewed a commitment made last summer to improving global food security.

With an estimated one billon people undernourished, leaders stood by their pledge to spend $22 billion over three years on improved infrastructure and sustainable agriculture projects. President Barack Obama said that despite the worldwide economic downturn, underinvestment in agricultural development must be reversed if global food security is to improve. The United States is helping lead the way with a commitment of at least $3.5 billion.

Feed the Future, the U.S. global hunger and food security initiative, applies a model of development based on partnership, not patronage. Developing countries take the lead in designing and implementing evidence-based strategies with clear goals that address their unique needs. The U.S. has learned from past aid programs that clear country ownership and strong country commitment are absolutely critical to long-term success.

The U.S. is working with countries to develop approaches that strengthen the entire agricultural chain -- from the lab, where researchers develop higher-performing seeds; to the farm, where better water management, fertilizer use, and farmer training can help improve productivity; to the market, where the U.S.is helping to share product information and build the infrastructure that will let people process, store and transport their crops more effectively; and finally to the table. The end goal is to give people the opportunity to buy and grow nutritious food and receive a balanced diet.

The United States has already allocated $812 million to Feed the Future as part of its $3.5 billion pledge, and applauds the significant progress in the global effort to reduce hunger and under-nutrition.