Yesterday Senator Casey (D-Penn.), who has been supportive of ONE’s priorities, made a speech on the Senate floor to encourage his fellow Senators to take action to address global food insecurity and pass the Global Food Security Act. Sen. Casey introduced the Global Food Security Act with Senator Richard Lugar (R-Ind.). They both serve on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The bill provides $10 billion over five years (2010 to 2014) for a coordinated effort to address global food insecurity, including long-term agricultural initiatives in the developing world.

With more than 1 billion hungry people around the world, and increasing pressures on smallholder farmers like droughts, flooding, and volatile food prices, we have a humanitarian motivation to take action, as Sen. Casey mentioned in his speech. Sen. Casey also described how food insecurity is a national security issue:

… global hunger is indeed a national security issue. Instability arising from conflict over access to food is a documented and real problem. Last year’s food crisis unfortunately brought this into acute focus. We saw it in Somalia, where struggles to gain access to food have enveloped population centers in violence. We have seen it in Egypt during last year’s bread riots. And we have seen it in Haiti where hospital beds filled last year with those injured during food riots. Increased instability in any of these countries has a direct impact on U.S. national interests. There are a host of examples from across the world that illustrate the scope of this problem.

Sen. Casey also praised the administration’s effort to address global food insecurity:

I would like to applaud this Administration’s current efforts to help the hungry. In September, the White House announced the Global Hunger and Food Security Initiative, a comprehensive approach to food security based on country and community led planning and collaboration. Secretary Clinton is leading a visionary ‘whole of government’ effort to help the world’s hungry. As the Administration works out the details of implementation, I hope and trust that we will maintain a sharp focus on the ability of small scale farmers to grow food at an increased and sustainable rate.

Be sure to check out the press release and speech, which includes a more detailed description of the objectives of the Global Food Security Act.

Senator Casey and I recently introduced the Global Food Security Act of 2009 (S.384) to re-orient U.S. foreign assistance to focus on hunger and poverty. We very much appreciate that ONE has endorsed the bill. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee recently approved the bill.

Roughly one billion people today suffer from chronic hunger. World population is projected to grow from 6.7 billion to 9.2 billion by 2050. Agricultural productivity will need to at least double by then, but instead it has been stagnating especially in Africa. Farmers will be hard pressed to meet growing demand given the challenges of land, water, and environmental pressures brought about by climate change, soil degradation, deforestation, and volatile fuel prices.

There is little reason for anyone to be hungry in a world in which we have the knowledge and resources to improve food availability and access. The entire world is facing difficult times in this global recession, and now more than ever we need your support to ensure that billions of people do not go hungry and will not in the future. Please contact your Senators and ask them to join us in cosponsoring the bill. If you would like to learn more about the bill and the issue, please visit the food security page of my website.

-Senator Richard G. Lugar, Indiana

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

Last week, I attended the Senate hearing for the Global Food Security Act (S-384) that was re-introduced in the Senate in February by Senators Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) and Robert Casey (D-Penn.). The bill is being co-sponsored by Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), and Tom Harkin (D-Iowa).

The bill calls for $10 billion over five years for agricultural initiatives in the developing world. In particular, the bill focuses on rural agricultural programming, research and technological innovation, and contains some funding for emergency food assistance with the option of purchasing the food locally rather than shipping it from the U.S.

It was exciting to hear ONE’s themes resound at the hearing. This palpable support is essential as the developing world is facing high food prices, coupled with the global economic turndown. The World Bank estimates that the financial crisis could push 53 million more people into poverty this year, and already 963 million people are hungry worldwide – an increase of 40 million people between 2007 and 2008.

In his opening statement, Senator Kerry cautioned that the world has a long way to go before we reach the first Millennium Development Goal of halving hunger and poverty. Senator Lugar outlined four primary challenges effecting agriculture and food security in the developing world – population growth, rising energy costs, water scarcity, and climate change – noting that “Despite these alarming trends, investments in agriculture have tumbled in recent decades.”

Highlights from the testimonies included former Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman and former head of the UN World Food Program Catherine Bertini, who co-chaired the recently released Chicago Council task force report on global hunger and poverty, praising more assistance for programs that will increase food production in developing countries – like agricultural extension, research, and training – in complement to traditional food aid. Dr. Gebisa Ejeta, a plant geneticist working with sorghum, proposed that investments in people, local institutions, and policies that all support research and technology transfer could assist a future agricultural revolution in developing countries. Senator Kerry and David Beckmann of Bread for the World also both made references to the importance of pursuing a foreign assistance reform process that would ensure that the U.S. has an effective foreign aid system. A list of witnesses and their full statements can be found here.

The Global Food Security Act is an important step towards achieving the economic opportunity and food security so urgently needed in the developing world. Increased funding for agriculture could have a significant impact on sub-Saharan Africa in particular where the sector employs approximately two-thirds of the population and accounts for, on average, one-third of GDP. Hopefully the introduction of this legislation – and the support that it has clearly garnered in the legislative, academic, and NGO communities – signals a trend that the U.S. is putting agriculture in the developing world on the agenda.

The bill could be reviewed by the Committee as soon as this week; we will keep you updated about any developments.

-Beth Adler

Today PA ONE members and I had the opportunity to meet with some of PA Senator Robert Casey’s staff in Harrisburg, PA. In the short time that Senator Casey has served in the U.S. Senate (two years), he has demonstrated strong leadership on ONE’s legislative priorities for fighting extreme poverty in the world. We made sure to convey our appreciation to Director of Constituent Services Bonnie Seaman and Deputy Director of Constituent Services Teresa Dennis.

In the meeting we discussed the Global Food Security Act (which Senator Casey introduced with Republican Senator Richard Lugar), the President’s budget request for International Affairs, and Comprehensive Aid Reform. We are very hopeful that as a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Casey will be a vocal champion for ONE. PA ONE Members look forward to working with Senator Casey and his staff in the future!

-Brian Sweeney

Last week I had the opportunity to attend a “ONE-Philly” event and meet with ONE members around Philadelphia, PA. The energy and excitement coming from this group was very inspiring!

The group is getting organized to attend the March 5th screening of “A Powerful Noise” and will be doing some tabling outside of a movie theater in downtown Philadelphia, PA.

The group also recognizes the importance of contacting members of Congress when there is an important piece of legislation being considered that will help the world’s most vulnerable. I was able to discuss the Lugar-Casey Global Food Security Act during the meeting and before I knew it all of the ONE Philly members had their mobile phones in hand ready to dial up their respected representatives!

The meeting turned into a “ONE Call Party”! This was advocacy in action! The group agreed that more of these “Call Parties” should be organized! The group’s future plans include making Philadelphia a “ONE City”, submitting letters to the editor, making a unique transportable ONE mural for events, and legislative visits. This was my first encounter with Philadelphia ONE members and I must say it was VERY energizing!

-Brian Sweeney

In an exciting step forward for U.S. support of agriculture and food security in the developing world, Senators Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) and Robert Casey (D-Penn.) reintroduced their Global Food Security Act (S. 384) this week in the Senate. A similar version of the bill (S. 3529 in the 110th Congress) was introduced in September 2008, but was not considered by the Senate before the Congress adjourned.

The bill calls for $10 billion over five years to fund long-term agricultural initiatives in the developing world. In particular, the bill focuses on increasing funding for agricultural research and technological innovation. The bill also includes $500 million for emergency food assistance.

This legislation is especially important as it comes at a time when the world is struggling with the duel crises of higher than average food prices and a global recession. The developing world – where the majority of households already spend half of their income on food – is being hit particularly hard. In 2008, staple food prices reached record-highs, leaving families unable to afford food, or having to devote more monthly income to food rather than education and health care. Already 963 million people are hungry globally, an increase of 40 million people in just one year.

The Lugar-Casey bill is the beginning of what will hopefully become a trend: developed countries providing development assistance that specifically targets long-term agricultural initiatives that, historically, have been underfunded. In order to achieve food security, and enable the developing world to reap the economic benefits of increased agricultural productivity, we must invest in short-, medium-, and long-term solutions to the hunger crisis. Emergency food aid can provide food for people who are malnourished now, inputs like seeds and fertilizer can assist farmers in having a successful growing season, and safety-net programs like cash-for-work and school feeding programs can prevent further decent into hunger. However, long-term agricultural investments – like building roads and irrigation systems, opening global markets to agricultural products from the developing world, and training smallholder farmers in new agricultural technologies – are essential to stem the cycle of hunger and poverty.

Investing in agriculture could have a remarkable impact in Sub-Saharan Africa in particular, where over fifty percent of families rely on agriculture for both their food and their income, and agriculture contributes to one third of GDP. This legislation is a great advance towards addressing the food crisis, and ensuring that the developing world can prevent future crises through increased agricultural productivity. ONE also released a press statement endorsing the legislation.

-Beth Adler

There’s a huge amount of attention this week on Capitol Hill focused on the economy – and rightly so. The economics dominating the news affects all of us. It’s important to note that the current financial crisis could also adversely impact poor countries already suffering from both high food and fuel prices. Understandably, most of the responses to the food crisis to date have been short-term, immediate aid. Governments and aid organizations have been working to get help to the people who are suffering, and that must not be delayed. But short-term responses only treat the symptoms. We need a long-term strategy to prevent future crises from occurring.

This week in the Senate, bipartisan legislation was introduced by Republican Senator Richard Lugar of Indiana and Democratic Senator Robert Casey of Pennsylvania to begin to target the root causes of the food crisis. This bill, the “Global Food Security Act” (S. 3529), is a smart step forward in what must be a comprehensive and global response to the situation facing millions of people.

According to the Senators’ offices, the bill would authorize $10 billion over 5 years for agricultural productivity and rural development. Drawing on the experience and expertise of U.S. land grant colleges and universities, the bill would create a new program to strengthen institutions of higher education in the areas of agriculture sciences, research, and extension programs. Investments in human capital and institutional capacity are important to developing a robust agricultural sector. It calls for increasing collaborative research on the full range of biotechnological advances including genetically modified technologies. The legislation also would improve the U.S. emergency response to food crises by creating a separate Emergency Food Assistance Fund that can make local and regional purchases of food, where appropriate. The legislation would provide USAID with the flexibility to respond to emergencies more quickly, without supplanting other food programs.

That last point is particularly important in emergency response. Too often, when a food crisis hits a region, current U.S. law limits the American response. This proposal, if enacted, would allow U.S. funds to purchase food supplies in regions much closer to the crisis zone. Instead of waiting for the first shipments of food to arrive from the United States, which can take many days if not weeks, local officials would be able to purchase food from that region’s suppliers, speeding help to the people who are starving.

ONE also believes that we have to address the root of the problem: building the capacity for people in Africa and elsewhere to grow enough food to feed their families while increasing support for long-term rural development efforts. Put simply, the United States should help to provide people with the tools that they need to fend for themselves. When we take those steps, we begin to address the core of the food crisis.

The Lugar-Casey bill is a good approach, and ONE looks forward to working with the Senators to see it approved by Congress.

-Sara Rogge, Senior Trade Policy Advisor