WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate this week passed the Global Food Security Act of 2016, legislation that aims to address global hunger and strengthen U.S. national security.

U.S. Senator John Boozman, a cosponsor of the legislation, applauded Senate passage of the bill that coordinates U.S. assistance programs, including the Feed the Future Initiative, so that there is a comprehensive strategy for our development programs that use American agricultural expertise to more aggressively tackle chronic hunger abroad. 

“As a co-chair of the Senate Hunger Caucus, I am committed to winning the fight against hunger both domestically and abroad. The passage of this important legislation represents yet another opportunity for Arkansas farmers to play a role in feeding people in need around the world,” Boozman said.

Background:

The Global Food Security Act is based on the premise that “global food insecurity,” or the lack of access to affordable, nutritious food, impacts not only developing nations’ economies and productivity, but also the international economy and U.S. national security. The Global Food Security Act of 2016 recognizes the important role that agricultural development plays in economic growth, including for women and small-scale producers, as well as the value of leveraging resources and expertise from U.S. academic institutions, non-governmental organizations, faith-based groups, private voluntary organizations, and the private sector.

Specifically, the Global Food Security Act of 2016 would:

• Require the administration to develop a whole-of-government strategy to address global food insecurity and hunger. The strategy would emphasize agricultural development, improving maternal and child nutrition, building the resilience of communities and civil society engagement.
• Ensure the alignment of U.S. assistance with developing countries’ own initiatives to enhance agricultural productivity, household income, local economies, and food and nutrition security to work toward the ultimate goal of transitioning countries and communities away from the need for U.S. assistance under this Act.
• Improve existing monitoring and evaluation practices to ensure the effective use of U.S. taxpayer dollars, including enhanced reporting requirements to Congress.
• Create the Emergency Food Response Fund by authorizing use of the International Disaster Assistance account to continue to respond to the emergency food needs of communities affected by natural or manmade disasters.
• Require that the administration report to Congress and to the American people annually about the strategy, its results, and the use of foreign assistance funds.