You might have noticed Nora’s blog post alerting ONE readers that the G20 will be kicking off in a few days in Pittsburgh. In addition to calling for a future G20 meeting to be held on the African continent, ONE is asking that counties in attendance at the G20 clarify the commitments for agriculture and food security they made at L’Aquila G8.

In a demonstration of collective political will—and with thanks to the leadership from the U.S.—the G8 and other countries and institutions pledged $20 billion for global food security at the July G8 meeting in Italy. This pledge will fund what has been dubbed the L’Aquila Food Security Initiative, a coordinated and comprehensive plan to address global food security. While the $20 billion was a step in the right direction—especially in the wake of the food crisis of 2008 and the current financial crisis, both of which threaten to drive people further into poverty and hunger—the road is long ahead.

As a next-step, ONE is calling for the G20 to:

• Ensure that the implementation of the pledges for agricultural assistance made at L’Aquila is comprehensive and coordinated through existing and effective mechanisms and partnerships.
• Provide clarity on funding plans made as part of the L’Aquila Food Security Initiative and expand participation in the effort to additional G20 members.

The U.S., UK, Canada, and Italy have already publicly announced and documented their contributions to the L’Aquila $20 billion. At this time, we’d like to hear from countries that have only hinted at their numbers, as well as learn how much of each pledge is new money rather than funding in existing pipelines. But quantity is not all that matters. In order for this initiative to be successful, implementation of assistance should be coordinated and comprehensive. The U.S. has put forth several principles to guide this initiative—that in addition to being coordinated and comprehensive, the initiative be country-owned, multilateral, and sustained over time. We would like to see the G20 adopt these principles as the L’Aquila Food Security Initiative moves forward.

This will not come as news to those of you who have been reading the ONE blog, or watching the headlines about floods in Senegal and droughts in Kenya, but the impediments to achieving food security, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, are substantial. The opportunity, however, is also significant. For example, approximately three quarters of people living in sub-Saharan Africa work in agriculture, and agriculture contributes, on average, one third of GDP, which means that if the agricultural sector was carefully and innovatively developed, crop yields and incomes could both increase for African families. If robust funding of good quality can be channeled towards a holistic food security solution, perhaps we will finally see a reversal of the cycle of hunger and poverty in the developing world. Not only that, but with the right investment, Africa has the potential to not only feed itself but to be a breadbasket for the rest of the world. We look forward to keeping you posted here on our website about developments in Pittsburgh, so stay tuned!