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In the past year, 100
million people have joined the ranks of the chronically hungry, bringing the
total number to a little over 1 billion. In mid November, representatives of
one hundred ninety two countries met at the World Summit on Food Security to look
for solutions to this critical problem.
The Summit, organized by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO), sought to promote international consensus on action to address global
food insecurity. The United States supports sustainable agriculture-led
economic development through comprehensive, country-led plans. This approach
was recognized in the final declaration, which included the Five Rome
Principles for Sustainable Global Food Security.
The head of the U.S. delegation, Alonzo Fulgham of the U.S. Agency for
International Development, praised the final document. "What this
declaration represents is a significant change - not just an acknowledgment of
a problem but an articulation of solutions, with a focus on country-led programs
and strategies."
The United States is committed to the vital issue of food security. In July,
President Obama announced that the United States would commit $3.5 billion over
3 years to sustainable agricultural development. At the President's request,
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has been leading a
whole-of-government effort to build a comprehensive food security plan.
Meanwhile, the United States maintains its longstanding commitment to providing
humanitarian food aid to some of the world's most vulnerable people. The United
States is the world's top food donor and the largest contributor to the UN's
World Food Programme. In 2008 alone, the U.S. Agency for International
Development delivered 2.6 million metric tons of food, worth about 2.6 billion
dollars, to forty nine countries on four continents, benefiting some 56 million
people.
By increasing U.S. support to agriculture while maintaining a robust
humanitarian response, the United States hopes that in the long term, the risks
of countries experiencing food insecurity due to short-term shocks will
decrease. "We're seeking to close that gap between development and
humanitarian assistance," stated Secretary Clinton on World Food Day,
"by dedicating development resources to engage the poorest in the growth
process and to support community development."
