Yesterday was a good day for the developing world – and for ONE – with several positive outcomes from the G20 meetings in London. What capped off the day really well was a tidbit mentioned by President Obama in his evening remarks. He announced that he will work with Congress to double support for agricultural development to over $1 billion “…so that we are giving people the tools they need to lift themselves out of poverty.”

In details released today, the White House specified that this funding – which will be requested for the FY2010 budget – aims to modernize developing country agriculture in order to increase productivity and rural incomes. Specific assistance areas include increasing the use of technology, linking farmers to markets, increasing access to quality inputs like seeds, tools, fertilizers, irrigation, and rural credit, and encouraging private investment in agriculture. The White House is also committed to reducing dependency on food aid, bringing the poorest into the growth process through social safety net programs, and building/strengthening partnerships with the international community, private sector, NGOs, and U.S. universities.

In 2008, the U.S. provided approximately $450 million to agriculture in the developing world. In our proposal to the Obama Administration earlier this year, ONE requested at least $850 million for the FY2010 budget for agriculture. For the U.S. to reach a funding target of more than $1 billion for agricultural development initiatives in the developing world certainly exceeds our request.

The commitment to exceed $1 billion for agriculture in the developing world also aligns well with the Senators Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) and Robert Casey (D-Penn.)’s proposed Global Food Security Act, which was introduced in the 111th Congress and cleared the Senate Foreign Affairs committee on Tuesday by unanimous vote. The bill requests almost $1.5 billion in FY2010 for agricultural development initiatives, research and technological innovation, training, and emergency food assistance.

As the White House noted, “…We can directly improve the lives of poor populations by growing rural economies through broad-based agriculture growth.” This funding comes at a crucial time for developing countries where food prices remain high and families are facing decreased incomes and remittances due to the global financial crisis. Investing in agriculture will not only bolster food security in the developing world, but it will enable families and communities to increase their incomes through agriculture-driven economic productivity.

The funding will be targeted in 25 countries and 8 regions; in Africa this includes Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, Malawi, and Eastern and Southern Africa. Other targeted areas are South and East Asia, Latin America, and the Near East. We applaud President Obama and urge him to follow through speedily with meeting this commitment. ONE will be following this topic closely and will be sure to keep you updated.

-Beth Adler