[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2909 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
113th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 2909
To authorize a comprehensive strategic approach for United States
foreign assistance to developing countries to end extreme global
poverty and hunger, achieve food and nutrition security, promote
endurable, long-term, agricultural-led economic growth, improve
nutritional outcomes, especially for women and children, build
resilient, adaptive, local capacity of vulnerable populations, and for
other related purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
September 18, 2014
Mr. Casey (for himself, Mr. Johanns, Mr. Coons, Mr. Isakson, Mr.
Cardin, and Mr. Boozman) introduced the following bill; which was read
twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To authorize a comprehensive strategic approach for United States
foreign assistance to developing countries to end extreme global
poverty and hunger, achieve food and nutrition security, promote
endurable, long-term, agricultural-led economic growth, improve
nutritional outcomes, especially for women and children, build
resilient, adaptive, local capacity of vulnerable populations, and for
other related purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Global Food Security Act of 2014''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) According to the Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO), 805,000,000 people worldwide suffer from chronic hunger.
Hunger and malnutrition rob people of health and productive
lives and stunt the mental and physical development of future
generations.
(2) According to the January 2014 Worldwide Threat
Assessment of the United States Intelligence Community report,
the ``[l]ack of adequate food will be a destabilizing factor in
countries important to U.S. national security that do not have
the financial or technical abilities to solve their internal
food security problems'' and ``[f]ood and nutrition insecurity
in weakly governed countries might also provide opportunities
for insurgent groups to capitalize on poor conditions, exploit
international food aid, and discredit governments for their
inability to address basic needs''.
(3) Decades of research have shown that there are multiple
underlying causes of food insecurity and poor nutrition,
including the lack of availability of, access to, and
consumption of nutritious food, limited investments to improve
agricultural productivity, insufficient value chains and market
development for farmers, including small-scale producers,
leading to post-harvest loss, and weak institutions in
government and civil society.
(4) Agriculture, which comprises large portions of the
total labor force in many developing countries, is an essential
component of inclusive economic growth. According to the World
Bank's 2008 World Development Report, growth in the
agricultural sector has been twice as effective in reducing
poverty as growth in other sectors.
(5) Women, who are often heads of households and small
farmers, are especially vulnerable to food insecurity. Women
frequently face stricter constraints than men in accessing
markets and resources. In its 2010-2011 report, the FAO
estimated that if women farmers had the same access to inputs
as men, they could increase their farm yields by 20 to 30
percent. According to the FAO, this ``could raise total
agricultural output in developing countries by 2.5-4 percent''.
(6) More than 165,000,000 children younger than 5 years of
age, and 1 in 3 women in the developing world, suffer from
malnutrition, which leads to severe health and developmental
consequences.
(7) Malnutrition can undermine future earning potential by
as much as 20 percent and can inhibit economic growth by as
much as 3 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). The African
Union Commission Cost of Hunger in Africa study estimated that
the economic costs associated with child undernutrition are
substantial, ranging from 2 percent to 16 percent of the gross
national product (GNP) in several African nations.
(8) Research shows that adults who suffered from stunting
as children are less productive than nonstunted workers and are
less able to contribute to the economy. According to Save the
Children's 2013 Food for Thought report, if the current
malnutrition rates continue, global output could be reduced by
$125,000,000,000 by 2030, when the young children of today have
reached working age.
(9) A comprehensive approach to endurable food security
should not only respond to emergency food shortages, but should
also address malnutrition, resilience against food and
nutrition insecurity due to disasters, building the capacity of
poor, rural populations to improve their agricultural
productivity, nutrition, and incomes, institutional impediments
to agricultural development, value chain access and efficiency,
agribusiness development, access to markets for the specific
needs and barriers facing women and small-scale producers,
education, and cooperative research.
(10) An effective, sustainable approach to combating food
insecurity requires participation from multiple stakeholders,
including government, the private sector, international
organizations, local and nongovernmental stakeholders,
grassroots and civil society organizations, and higher
education research institutions.
(11) Nongovernmental organizations, faith-based groups,
community-based organizations, and cooperatives can increase
the effectiveness of public investments by building local
capacity, strengthening food and nutrition security and
resilience, and leveraging additional resources.
(12) The United States has provided consistent global
leadership in addressing food security and investing in
agricultural development and humanitarian assistance. In 2010,
the United States Government launched Feed the Future (FTF), an
initiative designed to expand and better coordinate the United
States investments in improving global food security. FTF is a
whole-of-government approach that works across agricultural
value chains and focuses on the dual objectives of improving
farmer productivity, income, and livelihoods in developing
countries and improving the nutrition of women and children.
(13) The United States Government spearheaded the creation
of the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP),
which mobilizes contributions from a wide range of
international donors to support the goals of FTF. Since 2010,
the GAFSP has leveraged approximately $730,000,000 from 10
donors and reached an estimated 12,000,000 direct beneficiaries
in 25 countries.
SEC. 3. POLICY OBJECTIVES; SENSE OF CONGRESS.
(a) Statement of Policy Objectives.--It is in the national security
interest of the United States to promote global food and nutrition
security, consistent with national agriculture investment plans, which
is reinforced through programs, activities, and initiatives that--
(1) eradicate hunger and malnutrition, especially for women
and children;
(2) assist foreign countries to achieve long-term,
endurable, and inclusive agricultural development by
emphasizing--
(A) increased agricultural productivity, income,
and growth;
(B) reduction in poverty; and
(C) improved skills building and market linkages,
including for small-scale producers and women who face
specific constraints in accessing markets and
resources; and
(3) ensure the effective use of United States taxpayer
dollars to further these objectives.
(b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of the Congress that the
Administrator, in providing assistance under this Act, should--
(1) coordinate, through a whole-of-government approach, the
efforts of relevant Federal departments and agencies to
implement the strategy set forth in section 5(a);
(2) utilize, to the extent possible, open and streamlined
solicitations to allow for the participation of a wide range of
implementing partners;
(3) consider the provision of assistance through the most
appropriate contracting mechanism, whether it be grants,
cooperative agreements, or contracts, in order to best meet
objectives; and
(4) continue to strengthen existing partnerships between
developing country institutions of agricultural sciences with
universities in the United States, with a focus on building the
capacities of developing nation universities in agriculture.
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.
(1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the
Administrator of the United States Agency for International
Development.
(2) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(A) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the
Senate;
(B) the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and
Forestry of the Senate;
(C) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate;
(D) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House
of Representatives;
(E) the Committee on Agriculture of the House of
Representatives; and
(F) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of
Representatives.
(3) Feed the future innovation labs.--The term ``Feed the
Future Innovation Labs'' means research partnerships led by
United States universities that advance solutions to reduce
global hunger, poverty, and malnutrition.
(4) Feed the future strategy.--The term ``Feed the Future
Strategy'' means the strategy developed and implemented
pursuant to section 5(a).
(5) Food and nutrition security.--The term ``food and
nutrition security'' means access to, and availability,
utilization, and stability of, sufficient food to meet caloric
and nutritional needs for an active and healthy life.
(6) Malnutrition.--The term ``malnutrition'' means poor
nutritional status caused by nutritional deficiency or excess.
(7) Resilience.--The term ``resilience'' means the ability
of people, households, communities, countries, and systems to
mitigate, adapt to, and recover from shocks and stresses in a
manner that reduces chronic vulnerability and facilitates
inclusive growth.
(8) Small-scale producer.--The term ``small-scale
producer'' means farmers, pastoralists, and fishers that have a
low-asset base and limited resources, including land, capital,
skills and labor, and, in the case of farmers, typically farm
on fewer than 5 hectares of land.
(9) Stunting.--The term ``stunting'' refers to a condition
that--
(A) is measured by a height-to-age ratio that is
more than 2 standard deviations below the median for
the population;
(B) manifests in children who are younger than 2
years of age, and is a process that can continue in
children after they reach 2 years of age, resulting in
an individual being ``stunted'';
(C) is a sign of chronic malnutrition; and
(D) can lead to long-term poor health, delayed
motor development, impaired cognitive function, and
decreased immunity.
SEC. 5. COMPREHENSIVE FOOD SECURITY STRATEGY.
(a) Feed the Future Strategy.--
(1) In general.--The Administrator shall coordinate the
development and implementation of a United States whole-of-
government strategy to accomplish the policy objectives set
forth in section 3(a), which shall--
(A) support and be aligned with country-owned
agriculture, nutrition, and food security policy and
investment plans developed with input from relevant
governmental and nongovernmental sectors within partner
countries and regional bodies, including
representatives of the private sector, agricultural
producers, including women and small-scale producers,
international and local civil society organizations,
research institutions, and farmers;
(B) support inclusive agricultural value chain
development, with producers, including women and small-
scale producers, gaining greater access to the inputs,
skills, networking, bargaining power, financing, and
market linkages needed to sustain their long-term
economic prosperity;
(C) seek to improve the nutritional status of women
and children, especially during the critical 1,000-day
window beginning at the beginning of a woman's
pregnancy and ending on her child's second birthday;
(D) ensure the long-term success of programs by
building the capacity of local organizations and
institutions;
(E) harness science, technology, and innovation,
including the research conducted at Feed the Future
Innovation Labs throughout the United States;
(F) leverage resources and expertise through
partnerships with the private sector, farm
organizations, cooperatives, civil society, research
entities, and academic institutions;
(G) support collaboration, as appropriate, between
United States universities and public and private
institutions in developing countries to promote
agricultural development and innovation;
(H) set clear and transparent selection criteria
for target countries, regions, and intended
beneficiaries of assistance provided under this Act;
(I) set specific and measurable goals, targets, and
time frames, and a plan of action consistent with the
policy objectives described in the Feed the Future
Strategy;
(J) ensure that target countries respect and
promote the lawful land tenure rights of local
communities, particularly those of women and small-
scale producers; and
(K) include criteria and methodology for graduating
countries from United States assistance provided under
this Act once the countries have achieved certain
benchmarks.
(2) Governing law.--In carrying out the purposes of this
Act, assistance may be provided pursuant to section 103,
section 103A, title XII of chapter 2 of part I, and chapter 4
of part II of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C.
2151a, 2151a-1, 2220a et seq., and 2346 et seq.)
notwithstanding any other provision of law.
(b) Feed the Future Coordination.--The Administrator shall
coordinate, through a whole-of-government approach, the efforts of
relevant Federal departments and agencies in the implementation of the
Feed the Future Strategy by--
(1) establishing policy coherence, monitoring and
evaluation systems, and coordination across all relevant United
States Government agencies;
(2) establishing linkages with other initiatives and
strategies of the United States Agency for International
Development, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of
State, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, the Overseas
Private Investment Corporation, the Peace Corps, the United
States Trade Representative, the United States Africa
Development Foundation, the Department of Commerce, the
Department of the Treasury, and the United States Geological
Survey;
(3) establishing platforms for regular consultation and
collaboration with key stakeholders, including--
(A) multilateral institutions;
(B) private voluntary organizations;
(C) cooperatives;
(D) the private sector;
(E) local nongovernmental and civil society
organizations;
(F) congressional committees; and
(G) other stakeholders, as appropriate;
(4) leveraging the expertise of the Department of
Agriculture in agricultural development, nutrition, trade,
research, and education; and
(5) establishing and leading regular public consultations
in partner countries.
SEC. 6. REPORTING.
(a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the
enactment of this Act, and not later than December 31 of each year
thereafter through 2020, the Administrator shall submit a report to the
appropriate congressional committees that describes the status of the
implementation of the Feed the Future Strategy.
(b) Content.--The report required under subsection (a) shall--
(1) contain an appendix of the Feed the Future Strategy;
(2) identify any substantial changes made in the Feed the
Future Strategy during the preceding calendar year;
(3) identify the indicators that will be used to measure
results, set benchmarks for progress over time, and establish
mechanisms for reporting results in an open and transparent
manner;
(4) describe the progress made in implementing the Feed the
Future Strategy;
(5) assess the progress and results of implementing
international food and nutrition security programming;
(6) contain a transparent, open, and detailed accounting of
spending under this Act by all relevant Federal agencies;
(7) identify any United States legal or regulatory
impediments that could obstruct the effective implementation of
the programming referred to in paragraph (5);
(8) contain a clear gender analysis of programming that
includes established disaggregated gender indicators to better
analyze outcomes for food productivity, income growth, equity
in access to inputs, jobs and markets, and nutrition;
(9) describe the strategies and benchmarks for graduating
target countries and monitoring any graduated target countries;
(10) assess efforts to coordinate United States
international food security and nutrition programs, activities,
and initiatives with--
(A) other bilateral donors;
(B) international and multilateral organizations;
(C) international financial institutions;
(D) host country governments;
(E) international and local private voluntary,
nongovernmental, and civil society organizations; and
(F) other stakeholders;
(11) assess United States Government-facilitated private
investment in related sectors in target countries;
(12) assess the impact of private sector investment on--
(A) the economic opportunities available to small-
scale producers;
(B) improving international food and nutrition
security; and
(C) enhancing endurable, long-term agricultural
development;
(13) include consultation with relevant United States
Government agencies in the preparation of the report; and
(14) incorporate a plan for regularly reviewing and
updating strategies, partnerships, and programs and sharing
lessons learned with a wide range of stakeholders.
(c) Public Availability of Information.--The information referred
to in subsection (b) shall be made publicly accessible in a timely
manner on a consolidated website.
(d) Government Accountability Office Report.--During the 1-year
period ending on December 31, 2018, the Comptroller General of the
United States shall publish a report that summarizes the progress of
the strategy described in section 5(a).
SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to the President to carry
out this Act, for each of the fiscal years 2015 through 2020, an amount
equal to the amount of funds made available for food security and
agricultural development programs for fiscal year 2014 under section
7060(d) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related
Programs Appropriations Act, 2014 (division K of Public Law 113-76; 128
Stat. 554).
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