The United States is committed to promoting global food security through its international food assistance and other foreign assistance programs. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2010, the United States provided more than $2.3 billion of food assistance to developing countries, which reached over 65 million people worldwide. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) work closely with the U.S. Department of State and other U.S. Government agencies to implement the Administration’s Global Hunger and Food Security Initiative, Feed the Future (FTF).
FTF renews the U.S. Government’s commitment to invest in sustainably reducing hunger and poverty. President Obama’s pledge at the L’Aquila G-8 summit of at least $3.5 billion for agricultural development and food security over three years helped to leverage and align more than $18.5 billion from other donors in support of a common approach to achieve sustainable food security. This common approach builds upon the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness and the Accra Agenda for Action – agreements that embody the international commitment to increase efforts in harmonization, alignment, and managing aid for results.
USG non-emergency food assistance supports food security efforts being carried out in addition to those supported with the $3.5 billion pledged at L’Aquila, and Feed the Future provides a framework for both resource streams and for a coherent, whole-of-government approach to partnership with governments, multilateral institutions, private voluntary organizations (PVOs), private companies, and others to sustainably reduce global hunger and poverty. In addition, USG food assistance resources, through the Preventing Malnutrition in Children under Two approach (PM2A) and other food-assisted nutrition programs, are supporting the “1,000 Days” campaign – a renewed international community commitment to scale-up nutrition for a better, more prosperous future.
The U.S. Government’s food assistance programs aim to improve the effectiveness of food aid and increase its contribution to global targets for reducing hunger, malnutrition, and poverty. By targeting the poorest of the poor and better integrating food aid programs into larger multilateral efforts, USAID and USDA food assistance programs aim to achieve these goals. The United States is leading an effort to reach out to people around the world who are suffering, to provide them immediate assistance and to extend support for food security that will help them lift themselves out of poverty.
The Food for Peace Act of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 is the legislative framework for U.S. international food assistance programs. The Act restates the objectives of U.S. international food assistance programs, which include promoting economic development, improving food security, and reducing hunger and malnutrition. The Act also provides for the use of food assistance programs to support agricultural development and food security in developing countries.
The U.S. Government’s food assistance programs are implemented through various mechanisms, including the Food for Progress Title I program, the Food for Peace Title II program, the Food for Development Title III program, and the Farmer-to-Farmer Program Title V. These programs provide food assistance to developing countries, support agricultural development and food security, and promote economic development. In FY 2010, the U.S. Government provided more than $2.3 billion of food assistance to developing countries, which reached over 65 million people worldwide.
The Food for Progress Title I program provides food assistance to developing countries to support agricultural development and food security. In FY 2010, the program provided 40,680 metric tons of food assistance, with a total cost of $19,698.9 million. The Food for Peace Title II program provides emergency and private assistance to developing countries to support food security and reduce hunger and malnutrition. In FY 2010, the program provided 2,154,816 metric tons of food assistance, with a total cost of $1,932,471.6 million.
The Food for Development Title III program provides food assistance to developing countries to support agricultural development and food security. However, no food assistance was provided through this program in FY 2010. The Farmer-to-Farmer Program Title V provides training and technical assistance to farmers in developing countries to improve agricultural productivity and food security. In FY 2010, the program provided $12,500,000 in funding, with a total of 12,500 metric tons of food assistance.
The Section 416(b) program provides surplus commodities to developing countries to support food security and reduce hunger and malnutrition. However, no food assistance was provided through this program in FY 2010. The Food for Progress CCC program provides food assistance to developing countries to support agricultural development and food security. In FY 2010, the program provided 199,730 metric tons of food assistance, with a total cost of $146,423.1 million.