Secretary of State Clinton Declares U.S. Commitment to End Global Hunger

Jun 15th, 2009 2:11 PM EST
By Beth Adler

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton yesterday made it clear that investment in agricultural productivity and the fight against hunger are priorities for the government, saying, “The issue of chronic hunger and food security is at the top of the agenda that we’re pursuing here in the State Department and in the Obama Administration,” She was speaking at the 2009 World Food Prize Awards ceremony, which honored Dr. Gebisa Ejeta, an agricultural scientist who helped develop hybrids of sorghum, a vital African crop, which are resistant to many common problems, including drought and weeds. Dr. Ejeta’s scientific advances have helped increase agricultural yields in regions most prone to food insecurity.

In her speech at the prize ceremony, Secretary Clinton spoke to the growing challenges caused by global hunger. Hunger is not merely a physical condition, she said; hunger also threatens economic productivity and global security, as well as the success of education and health programs. Hungry children, for example, struggle to concentrate in school and cannot make the most of their education. Despite the growing global number of hungry people, and the mounting difficulties caused by hunger, Secretary Clinton emphasized that with a comprehensive, long-term strategy, and donor support, it is possible for the planet to produce enough for all people to feed themselves and their families.

Secretary Clinton outlined the seven principles guiding this Administration’s effort to construct a comprehensive agriculture plan to achieve global food security and economic productivity:

• Increase agricultural productivity by improving access to quality seeds, fertilizers, irrigation, tools, and credit, and train farmers to use these inputs effectively.
• Stimulate the private sector by improving storage and food processing facilities, rural roads and transportation, and other infrastructure that enables farmers to get their products to market.
• Maintain natural resources so farmland remains productive in the future, including helping countries to adapt to climate change.
• Expand knowledge by investing in research and development, as well as training, cultivating the next generation of plant scientists.
• Facilitate increased trade to help farmers to sell crops domestically and internationally.
• Support policy reform and good governance which will help agriculture flourish.
• Support women and families, as 70% of the world’s farmers are women who are, to this point, largely neglected by agricultural programming.

In the near future, Secretary Clinton, President Obama, and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack will seek guidance from experts in the field as the administration creates a strategic agricultural initiative. Secretary Clinton stressed that agricultural development will not come from a “one-size-fits-all” approach.

Secretary Clinton concluded that an international strategy is necessary to increase agricultural productivity and address global hunger, and that the U.S. has a particular opportunity to lead. “Now for us, sustainable agriculture won’t be a side project. It is a central element of our foreign policy,” she declared. She encouraged the international community to also make agriculture a priority.

This is an excellent first step towards fulfilling the administration’s commitment to address food insecurity, and increase agricultural investment and productivity. We at ONE look forward to what comes next. We will continue to track the administration’s commitment to agriculture, and encourage you to check back to the blog for updates.

-Beth Adler and Pooja Gupta

TAGS: Agriculture, Policy News