Fact Sheet: President Obama's Global Development Policy and Global Food Security

Nearly one billion people endure the misery of chronic hunger, approximately one-sixth of the world's population. Responding to the underlying causes of global hunger and food insecurity, at the London G20 Summit in 2009, President Obama announced a global food security initiative that has the support of the world's major and emerging donor nations, includes strong roles for our multilateral institutions, and is led by partner countries that are ready and willing to develop comprehensive plans and commit their own resources to agricultural and market development.

U.S. Leads a Global Response Against Hunger

Recognizing that chronic under-investment in the agriculture sector calls for stronger global partnerships, the United States has helped to forge a strong and swift global response against hunger and food insecurity. President Obama's pledge at L'Aquila of at least $3.5 billion over three years helped to leverage and align an additional $18.5 billion - for a total of over $22 billion - in support of a common approach. The United States was instrumental in the development of five key principles that were subsequently adopted at the Rome World Food Security Summit in November 2009. Now known as the Rome Principles, these principles constitute the foundation for collective, global action on agricultural development and food security, and for the Obama Administration food security initiative, "Feed the Future."

The United States has partnered with G-20 countries, developing countries, the World Bank and other multilateral organizations to establish the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program. Launched in April 2010 with commitments from the United States, Canada, South Korea, Spain, and The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, this innovative new fund mobilizes public and private resources to scale up agricultural assistance to low-income countries. To date, the fund has awarded $224 million to five low income countries for increasing agricultural productivity and raising rural incomes.

U.S. Establishes the Feed the Future Initiative

Secretary Clinton in May 2010 launched a comprehensive effort to implement "Feed the Future" (FTF), the United States' food security effort. U.S. efforts build on our comparative advantage in research, innovation and private sector-led growth, and are designed to increase our investment in nutrition and agricultural development to reduce hunger while continuing to address critical emergency needs through humanitarian food assistance. To date, the United States has led international efforts to review nine comprehensive country strategies, committed new resources in support of those strategies and launched a new research and development program.

The President's global food security initiative manifests the policy in a number of ways:

 First, it engages traditional and non-traditional donors and the private sector to build needed multilateral capacities. The United States partnered with G-20 countries, developing nations, the World Bank and other multilateral organizations to establish the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program, and mobilized public and private resources to scale up agricultural assistance to low-income countries.

 Second, FTF is the U.S. Government's contribution to a collaborative global effort centered on country-owned processes and plans that implements a common approach to improve food security, agricultural production, and nutrition;

 Third, FTF invests in food security and agriculture development priorities that are identified by the partner country through country-led investment plans;

 Fourth, FTF is selective in that it places increased emphasis on a core group of focus countries, chosen through careful analysis and the country's willingness to develop a national agriculture development plan;

 Fifth, it increases investment in and support for innovation by emphasizing research and development, and by improving the extension and dissemination of research and technology development to the hands of small scale farmers through new models of public and private extension; and

 Sixth, and perhaps most important, FTF focuses on creating a foundation for sustainable economic growth by helping countries accelerate inclusive agriculture sector growth through improved agricultural productivity, expanded markets and trade, and increased economic resilience in vulnerable rural communities. In addition, by improving nutrition outcomes, FTF invests in helping people achieve their potential - the ultimate/true foundation for sustainable growth and development.