	Efforts of Host Governments and Donors, including the United States, toward Halving Hunger by 2015 Have Been Insufficient, especially in Sub- Saharan Africa

Despite their commitment to halve global hunger by 2015, efforts of host  governments and donors, including the United States, to accelerate  progress toward that goal have been insufficient, especially in sub-Saharan  Africa. Second, multilateral and donor aid to  African agriculture generally declined from the 1980s to around 2005. Host Governments in Sub- Saharan Africa Provide Limited Agricultural Spending

Although African countries pledged in 2003 to direct 10 percent of  government spending to agriculture, only 8 out of 38 governments had met  this pledge as of 2007, according to the most current available data from  the International Food Policy Research Institute. 2). In recognition of the growing global food  security problem, in July 2009, the United States and assembled leaders at  the G8 Summit in L’Aquila, Italy, agreed to a $20 billion, 3-year  commitment to reverse the declining trend in ODA funding for  agriculture. Launched in 2002, the Presidential Initiative to End Hunger in Africa  (IEHA)—which represented the U.S. strategy to help fulfill the MDG goal  of halving hunger by 2015—was constrained in funding and limited in  scope. The U.S. share of the G8 commitment  of $20 billion, or $3.35 billion, includes $1.36 billion for agriculture and  related programming in fiscal year 2010 to establish food security,  representing more than double the fiscal year 2009 budget request level. Consistent with GAO’s Recommendations, Efforts to Develop a U.S. Governmentwide Strategy to Address Global Food Security Are in Progress

In our May 2008 report, we recommended that the Administrator of USAID  (1) work in collaboration with the Secretaries of State, Agriculture, and  the Treasury to develop an integrated governmentwide strategy that  defines each agency’s actions and resource commitments to achieve food  security, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, including improving  collaboration with host governments and other donors and developing  improved measures to monitor and evaluate progress toward the  implementation of this strategy and (2) report on progress toward the  implementation of the first recommendation as part of the annual U.S.  International Food Assistance Report submitted to Congress. USAID  concurred with the first recommendation but expressed concerns about  the vehicle of the annual reporting. The Departments of Agriculture, State,  and Treasury generally concurred with the findings. In late September 2009, State issued a  consultation document—a work in progress—that delineates a proposed  comprehensive approach to food security based on country- and  community-led planning and collaboration with U.S. partners. Although the document outlines broad  objectives and principles, it is still a work in progress and should not be  considered the integrated governmentwide strategy that we called for in  our 2008 recommendation. A comprehensive strategy would define the  actions with specific time frames and resource commitments that each  agency undertakes to achieve food security, particularly in sub-Saharan  Africa, including improving collaboration with host governments and other  donors and developing improved measures to monitor and evaluate  progress toward implementing the strategy. USAID officials stated that  they plan to update Congress on progress toward implementation of such  a strategy as part of the agency’s 2008 IEHA report, which is forthcoming  in 2009. Foreign Assistance: U.S. Foreign Assistance: Donation of U.S. Food Security: Preparations for the 1996 World Food Summit.
Why GAO Did This Study

The number of undernourished people worldwide now exceeds 1 billion, according to the United Nations (UN) Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest prevalence of food insecurity, with 1 out of every 3 people undernourished. Global targets were set at the 1996 World Food Summit and reaffirmed in 2000 with the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) when the United States and more than 180 nations pledged to halve the number and proportion of undernourished people by 2015. In a May 2008 report, GAO recommended that the Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), in collaboration with the Secretaries of Agriculture, State, and the Treasury, (1) develop an integrated governmentwide U.S. strategy that defines actions with specific time frames and resource commitments, enhances collaboration, and improves measures to monitor progress and (2) report annually to Congress on the implementation of the first recommendation. USAID concurred with the first recommendation but expressed concerns about the vehicle of the annual reporting. The Departments of Agriculture, State, and Treasury generally concurred with the findings. In this testimony, based on prior reports and ongoing work, GAO discusses (1) host government and donor efforts to halve hunger, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, by 2015, and (2) the status of U.S. agencies' implementation of GAO's 2008 recommendations.

What GAO Found

Efforts of host governments and donors, including the United States, to achieve the goal of halving hunger in sub-Saharan Africa by 2015 have been insufficient due to a variety of reasons. First, host governments' agricultural spending levels remain low--the most current data available show that, as of 2007, only 8 of 38 countries had fulfilled a 2003 pledge to direct 10 percent of government spending to agriculture. Second, donor aid for agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa was generally declining as a share of overall official development assistance (ODA) until 2005. Third, U.S. efforts to reduce hunger in sub-Saharan Africa were constrained in funding and limited in scope. These efforts were primarily focused on emergency food aid and did not fully integrate U.S. and other donors' assistance to the region. To reverse the declining trend in ODA funding for agriculture, in July 2009, the Group of 8 (G8) agreed to a $20 billion, 3-year commitment. The U.S. share of this commitment, or $3.35 billion in fiscal year 2010, represents more than double the fiscal year 2009 budget request for agriculture and related programming. Consistent with GAO's first recommendation, U.S. agencies are in the process of developing a governmentwide strategy to achieve global food security. In September 2009, State issued a consultation document that delineates a proposed comprehensive approach to food security. Although the document outlines broad objectives and principles, it is still a work in progress and should not be considered the integrated governmentwide strategy that GAO recommended. It does not define the actions, time frames, and resource commitments each agency will undertake to achieve food security, including improved collaboration with host governments and other donors and measures to monitor and evaluate progress in implementing the strategy. Regarding GAO's second recommendation, USAID officials plan to update Congress on progress toward the implementation of such a strategy as part of the agency's Initiative to End Hunger in Africa 2008 report, which is forthcoming in 2009.