	The Extent of Global Food Insecurity

The combination of food and economic crises has pushed the number of food-insecure or hungry people worldwide to historic levels—more than 1 billion people are undernourished, according to estimates by the United Nations (U.N.) Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). In addition, the U.N. Secretary General reports that the proportion of hungry people in the world rose in 2008 as a result of global food and economic crises. According to U.N. estimates, the proportion of hungry people in the world dropped from about 20% in the early 1990s to about 16% in the middle of the following decade. President Obama signaled early that alleviating global hunger is a top priority of his Administration. The summit food security declaration commits the G8 and other participants at the summit to five principles for a food security initiative:
support for comprehensive strategies, investment through country-owned plans, stronger coordination among donors, leveraging effective multilateral institutions, and sustained commitments. The fullest expression of the U.S. food security initiative is the Global Hunger and Food Security Initiative Consultation Document , issued by the Department of State on September 28, 2009. Based on the notion that agricultural development has been a key driver of economic growth and poverty reduction in almost every industrialized nation in the world, U.S. assistance for agriculture has been a component of U.S. foreign aid since the 1960s. The United States' ODA for agriculture peaked at about 20% in 1980 and declined to about 5% by 2007. Congress plays a central role in funding and overseeing U.S. agricultural development and food security assistance, which are administered by several U.S. agencies and international organizations. Most development assistance programs are authorized by either the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (P.L. 87-191, as amended) or one of three food aid laws: Title II of the Food for Peace Act (P.L. 480), Section 416(b) of the Agricultural Act of 1949; and the Food for Progress Act of 1985. Congress typically influences development assistance programs through the appropriations process, most notably through congressional earmarks. Key bilateral and multilateral institutions that deliver agricultural development assistance are discussed below. USAID funds agricultural development assistance through three separate budget accounts authorized by Congress:
Development Assistance . The need for interagency coordination in the provision of agricultural development and food security assistance has been widely discussed. The largest component of U.S. food security assistance in the budget continues to be P.L. The funds called for in congressional appropriations measures could be considered as parts of the U.S. pledge. Legislative Proposals in the 111th Congress

A number of bills related to global agricultural development and food security assistance have been introduced in the 111 th Congress. Both bills establish a U.S. The coordinator would be charged with developing and implementing a comprehensive government-wide strategy to address global hunger and food security and to ensure that the strategy (1) contributes to achieving the Millennium Development Goal of reducing global hunger by half not later than 2015 and to advancing the United Nations Comprehensive Framework for Action with respect to global hunger and food security; and (2) is integrated into any review or development of a federal strategy for global development.
The combination of food and economic crises has pushed the number of food-insecure or hungry people worldwide to historic levels—more than 1 billion people are undernourished, according to estimates by the United Nations (U.N.) Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). In addition, the U.N. Secretary General reports that the proportion of hungry people in the world rose in 2008 as a result of global food and economic crises. The rise in the proportion of hungry people threatens achievement of the U.N.'s Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of reducing the proportion of hungry people in the world by half by 2015.
In his inaugural address, President Obama signaled that alleviating global hunger would be a top priority of his Administration. The Department of State has taken the lead in developing a U.S. global food security strategy that focuses on agricultural and rural development, based on five principles: support for comprehensive strategies; investment through country-owned plans; stronger coordination among donors; leveraging effective multilateral institutions; and sustained commitments. The G8 Summit in L'Aquila, Italy, the G20 Summit in Pittsburgh, and the FAO-sponsored World Food Summit in Rome have all endorsed the Administration's food security concept and pledged financial support for a global effort. World leaders stress that humanitarian food assistance (along with other social and safety net protections) would continue to be an important component of a global food security strategy.
Congress plays a central role in funding and overseeing agricultural development programs, which are administered by several U.S. agencies and international organizations. Most development assistance programs are authorized by either the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (P.L. 87-191, as amended) or any of three food aid laws: Title II of the Food for Peace Act (P.L. 480); Section 416(b) of the Agricultural Act of 1949; and the Food for Progress Act of 1985. Congress typically influences development assistance programs through the appropriations process, most notably through congressional earmarks. The United States also works through multilateral institutions to deliver agricultural development assistance.
Agricultural development has been a component of the United States' foreign aid program, but U.S. funding for such assistance has declined from about 20% of U.S. official development assistance (ODA) in 1980 to around 5% in 2007. As U.S. support for agricultural development has declined, so has the capacity of the United States to provide such assistance, according to critics of U.S. aid programs. The involvement of several U.S. government agencies in providing agricultural development aid has focused attention on the issue of interagency coordination. The involvement of other multilateral and bilateral donors also suggests a need for coordination among donors in the provision of food security assistance. The Administration has called for a substantial increase in agricultural development assistance, and the international community also has pledged substantial support for a global food security initiative. Skeptics, however, question whether the funds pledged will actually be committed.
Bills that would authorize and fund aspects of the food security initiative have been introduced in the 111th Congress. These include bills to increase support for agricultural development assistance as well as food security safety net assistance. Proposed legislation to broadly revise the authorizing statute for U.S. foreign assistance would be relevant to the global food security initiative as well.