Big win for agriculture: President Obama outlines new plan for global food security
President Obama just gave a really important speech at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs’ Symposium on Global Agriculture and Food Security, which outlined a new alliance against global hunger and next steps to help improve food security around the world. We wanted him to put this issue on the agenda at the G8, and boy, did he do that in a bold way!
Check out this great quote:
“This weekend at the G-8 we’ll be representing many of the largest economies in the world. We face urgent challenges—creating jobs, addressing the situation in Europe, and sustaining the global economic recovery. But even as we deal with these issues, I felt it was important to also focus on the urgent challenge that confronts some one billion men, women and children around the world every day—the injustice of chronic hunger and the need for long-term food security.”
The United States’ New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition will work closely with Prime Minister Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia, President John Atta-Mills of Ghana, and President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete with the help of African Union Chair Boni Yayi, President of Benin, to help solve the continent’s hunger crisis. These leaders have vowed to make food security a priority for their countries and beyond, and will specifically work to promote agricultural growth and raise 50 million people out of poverty over the next 10 years.
The best part of the New Alliance is that it truly puts the power in the hands of African governments, allowing donor countries and the private sector to align their assistance with individual country plans.
“There is no reason why Africa should not be feeding itself,” he said.
President Obama said that as long as he is in power, the US will remain a global leader in development, with the fight against global hunger at the forefront. Here’s another great quote from his speech on that note:
“As President, I consider this a moral imperative. As the wealthiest nation on earth, I believe the United States has a moral obligation to lead the fight against hunger and malnutrition—and to partner with others. So we take pride in the fact that—because of smart investments in nutrition, agriculture and safety nets—millions of people in Kenya and Ethiopia did not need emergency aid in the recent drought. Still, when tens of thousands of children die from the agony of starvation, as in Somalia, that’s unacceptable. It’s an outrage.”
Keep an eye on the ONE Blog for more analysis on his speech from our policy experts over the next few days. In the mean time, join us in thanking President Obama for putting global food security at the top of his G8 Summit agenda by sending him a thank you message via Tweet or Facebook Status:
TWITTER: .@WhiteHouse, thank you for putting food security at the top of your #G8 agenda @ONECampaign #letsthrive #globalag
FACEBOOK STATUS:
@The White House
Dear President Obama,Thank you for your support on global agriculture through the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition. We look forward to following the progress of the Alliance in helping to raise 50 million people out of poverty over the next 10 years.
Sincerely,
NAME, ONE member
Read more about President Obama’s New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition here.
Photo credit: @DerekYach via Twitter
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18/05/2012 at 6:45 pm
You people are continually being mislead by world leaders. Firstly, the United States is not the most powerful nation in the world. It is in fact, a debtor nation. If the United States and for that matter Bono, would have influence, they would be confronting large business, like the arms industry, oil, gold and diamonds and stop selling military equipment to Ethiopia, Somalia, et al and instead push them to buy needed food for their people. This, in itself, would be a conflict for the United States, the other G8 nations Russia, China and India, all dealing arms to the poor countries of Africa and elsewhere. The oil producers and gold and diamond industry should be pushed to pay their work force more and bring it in line with the average wage.
I don’t see Bono going to North Korea or Cuba to plead for the starving population there. It is all well and good to continually press for change and money from democratic governments within the safety and confines of “free” countries, but step out and confront the dictators and tyrants for a change.
Am I challenging Bono on this? Yes
Are you ensuring that Obama is going to produce/supply all natural seeds, crops or GMF?
18/05/2012 at 7:04 pm
Secondly, Obama can not feed his own people living in the United States. How many millions in the United States are suffering from hunger and sickness? How many are without jobs? And for that matter, Ireland?
How is it that we, in G8, nations, claim to know how to fix hunger, sickness, equality and rights in the third world nations, when we are suffering the same bane in our own backyards? Self righteous, or blind ignornance?
It is not a matter where we can just throw money and expect it to fix itself. Africa is rich. The people, governments must learn to work together to find a way to solve this problem.
28/05/2012 at 1:27 pm
nice article! i do agree with edward’s words that It is not a matter where we can just throw money and expect it to fix itself. Africa is rich. The people, governments must learn to work together to find a way to solve this problem. they would be confronting large business, like the arms industry, oil, gold and diamonds and stop selling military equipment to Ethiopia, Somalia, et al and instead push them to buy needed food for their people.