Bipartisan legislation to address global hunger and improve agriculture in the world’s poorest countries has been introduced in the House of Representatives. Sponsored by Republican Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), chairman of the House panel that oversees global health initiatives, and cosponsored by lead Democrat, Congresswoman Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), HR 5656, “The Feed Future Global Food Security Act” is designed to combat hunger and malnutrition and enable countries to feed their own people in the future.
Over 800 million people around the world suffer from chronic hunger. The Smith-McCollum bill coordinates the efforts of eleven government agencies in improving basic nutrition and reducing hunger of the poorest in 19 priority countries. It harnesses the efforts of private businesses, faith based organizations and community-based non-profits while highlighting women’s economic empowerment and building the capacity of local small scale farmers. The bill was introduced in the House late last night.
Begun by President Bush and continued by President Obama, the current U.S. food security program has been funded by Congress in annual appropriations legislation, but without official statutory authorization. The Smith-McCollum bill would permanently codify and authorize such efforts and help marshal a worldwide commitment to tackling hunger and malnutrition.
“This legislation will save lives, reduce suffering and help stabilize regions of the world,” said Chairman Smith who has spearheaded similar U.S. international, health and nutritional initiatives throughout his career dating back to legislation he successfully offered in 1985 to restore and double the commitment to the then Child Survival Fund program to protect children who would otherwise die from preventable, curable diseases.
“HR 5656 takes direct aim at the extreme hunger and malnutrition that exist today in the poorest countries around the world in order to help mitigate the suffering and help nations help themselves,” Chairman Smith added. “It promotes the hope, dream and reality of survival for those who face chronic hunger, while at the same time instituting important accountability measures to monitor and evaluate progress and impact and ensure that the funding and expertise goes the people who need it most.”
“Chronic hunger and food insecurity is a daily reality for more than 800 million people around the world. Millions of children die due to under-nutrition – a completely preventable death,” said McCollum. “These are conditions that contribute to unrest, political instability, and threaten our national security.”
“Investing in agricultural development and improving nutrition is essential to confronting hunger,” McCollum said. “This bipartisan bill extends Feed the Future, the successful U.S. initiative providing tools to small holder farmers in the poorest countries, especially women farmers. This empowers them to grow more food to feed their families and their communities, while improving nutrition and generating income. Defeating hunger, helping small holder farmers, and keeping children fed and healthy is an investment the American people understand and support.”
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will be the lead U.S. agency, in coordination with the Department of Agriculture, the Department of State, the U.S. African Development Foundation and the other agencies.
Beyond its humanitarian impact, the Smith-McCollum bill also buttresses national security. A January 2014 Worldwide Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community report stated that the “lack of adequate food will be a destabilizing factor in countries important to United States national security that do not have the financial or technical abilities to solve their internal food security problems.“ Lack of food and nutrition in nations with weak governments might embolden insurgent groups to exploit conditions and undermine and destabilize regions.”
Many groups have called for the legislation, including American Jewish World Service, Catholic Relief Services, Food for the Hungry, Lutheran World Relief, Oxfam America, Self Help Africa, Stop Hunger Now, United Methodist Church General Board of Church and Society, World Vision and dozens of others.
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