With its world famous cherry blossoms, spring in Washington, D.C. is a remarkable sight. This April, however, there's something else blooming in our nation's capital - a bipartisan consensus in Congress on the need to enact a U.S. global food and nutrition security strategy. And leaders in both the House and Senate should be applauded for this effort.
Globally, one in nine people are still hungry. Research demonstrates that investing in food and nutrition security and agricultural development is a powerful economic engine that reduces poverty. However, by sharing U.S. expertise in agriculture development and working in partnership with smallholder farmers we can continue the progress already being made in tackling global hunger.
That is why, in response to food insecurity in 2007 and 2008, the United States government reaffirmed its commitment to ending global hunger and malnutrition, primarily through the Feed the Future Initiative. The Global Food Security Act builds on this effort by authorizing a U.S. global food and nutrition security strategy that will continue to help farmers feed themselves and their families. The act also will help create new tools to leverage partnerships between public, private and nonprofit sectors.
At a time when U.S. political tensions have reached new heights, the recent approval of the Global Food Security Act (H.R. 1567/S. 1252) by voice vote in the U.S. Senate and by an overwhelming majority in the House of Representatives is a clear signal of the commitment by congressional leadership to the fight against global hunger, malnutrition and extreme poverty.
Majority Leader McConnell (R-KY), Minority Leader Reid (D-NV), Speaker Ryan (R-WI) and Minority Leader Pelosi (D-CA) should all be commended for their bipartisan action on this crucial issue. InterAction also thanks the original cosponsors - Reps. Smith (R-NJ) and McCollum (D-MN) in the House and Sens. Isakson (R-GA) and Casey (D-PA) in the Senate - for their leadership in fighting hunger and malnutrition.
We look forward to continuing to work with members of Congress and key partners in the public, private and nonprofit sectors to enact the Global Food Security Act before the end of this Congress.
Video: Watch InterAction CEO Sam Worthington discuss the importance of food security