DRAFT

November 10, 1997

Support for food security efforts should be given a higher priority within U.S. foreign assistance appropriations, for both bilateral and multilateral programs. This requires:

increased funding for agricultural production and rural development within U.S. bilateral and multilateral development assistance;

an increased allocation of resources for low-income food deficit countries;

a comprehensive and integrated approach that addresses availability, accessibility and utilization dimensions of food security as well as conflict transformation and preventive diplomacy; and

greater empowerment of women to achieve gender equity and population stabilization.

Recent developments suggest an increased emphasis on food security within U.S. foreign policy and sustainable development strategy. The Secretary of State repeatedly during 1997 has mentioned food security as a key concern for U.S. foreign policy. Food security is one of the issues around which the U.S. is seeking to improve its coordination with the European Union through the Transatlantic Agenda.

Increased Funding for Agriculture and Rural Development Activities

Worldwide, official funding for agriculture and rural development programs has declined even more steeply than the recent decreases in overall development assistance. The amount of official development assistance targeted for the rural sector was lower in 1994 than it was in the early 1980's. In the U.S., bilateral development assistance for agriculture and rural development dropped from $463 million in FY 91 to $165 million in 1996. In sub-Saharan Africa, which includes 36 of the 84 countries designated by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organizations as low-income food deficit countries, USAID funding for agriculture and food security activities for FY 97 has fallen to 15 percent of the budget of the Africa Bureau from 36 percent in 1988.

USAID expects that Congress will approve an additional $30 million to enhance current agriculture and food security activities in five countries in Africa. The Africa Food Security Initiative is envisioned as a ten-year program.

U.S. support for certain United Nations programs that promote food security also has dropped significantly in recently years. Of particular concern are the U.S. voluntary contributions to the U.N. Development Programme (UNDP) and to the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

Low Income Food Deficit Countries

Low income food deficit countries have a particular need for official aid, both bilateral and multilateral, because they have little or no access to private sources of international development finance.

Donor assistance should be leveraged by national and local resources from the countries themselves and used to promote greater self-reliance, avoiding long-term dependence on such assistance. Carefully targeted assistance in these agrarian-based countries can serve as an important stimulus to broad-based growth and development.

In FY 97, less than one-third of U.S. bilateral assistance was allocated for low-income food deficit countries, excluding Egypt. The U.S. provided development or economic assistance to 49 of the 84 countries designated as low-income food deficit by the FAO.

Integrated Approach (Health, Nutrition, Education, and Conflict Transformation) Emphasizing Local Leadership and Self-Reliance

Assistance for food security efforts should focus not only on agricultural production and income generation, which address issues of availability and accessibility, but also on health and nutrition, which affect human productivity and the ability of individuals and communities effectively to utilize available food. Education, particularly girls' education, is also an essential ingredient in promoting food security.

USAID has recognized the need to revise and update its food security policy guidelines. Although a process for doing so was initiated, it has not been completed. It is important that current initiatives related to food security, health, nutrition, education, and population stabilization be more integrated, conceptually and programmatically.

[Focus on conflict transformation and preventive diplomacy as essential to maintain levels of food security and prevent crises.]

Empowerment of Women

Women's traditional second class status has meant that their role in food security too often has been overlooked or misunderstood. As a result, opportunities have been lost, human resources have been squandered and, in some cases, food insecurity actually has increased. It is urgent that an understanding of gender roles inform all food security efforts and that efforts to empower women include attention to food security concerns. Separate programs targeted on women and girls are necessary until greater equity between men and women has been achieved. Attention to women's status is important as well to stabilize population growth rates which otherwise will continue to increase far beyond the earth's capacity to produce sufficient food. USAID's adoption in 1996 of a Gender Plan of Action is an important step in the right direction. Follow-up to ensure implementation is critical..

U.S. organizations are seeking to integrate gender analysis and methods into their relief, refugee, and development work. InterAction, the consortium of U.S. private and voluntary groups involved in such work, elevated the priority given to the empowerment of women in 1994 by establishing a Commission on the Advancement of Women. The Commission works to help InterAction members better understand gender perspectives, share experiences and insights, and develop effective methods for promoting gender equity. In 1997, the InterAction Board of Directors passed a set of amendments to the PVO Standards focusing on gender equity and diversity.

Politics of foreign aid

Public support for foreign aid funding traditionally has been very weak. As a result, foreign assistance funding levels have always been vulnerable to efforts to cut spending. The aftermath of the Cold War has been characterized by a marked shift of attention to domestic concerns, with increased indifference and hostility toward assistance for poor countries. Although funding is expected to increase by $1 billion in FY 98 to $13.2 billion, it remains $1 billion below the level of $14 billion in FY 89. The U.S. ranks dead last among twenty one Western donor nations in the level of its foreign assistance as a percentage of Gross National Product while at the same time ranking highest in the percentage of foreign assistance allocated to high income countries. (Influence of U.S. ethnic constituencies on allocation of foreign assistance.)

Lack of support based in part on need for aid agency reforms - both bilateral and multilateral

Need for integrated approach to food security to include agriculture, health, education, nutrition, microcredit, family planning -- all with a gender perspective.

Need to continue to ensure implementation of current gender requirements and understanding while further developing analysis and methodologies, esp. those specific to food security.

1. Increase U.S. funding for food security activities by 30% in FY 99 and by an additional 10% in each of the following five years. Allocate more than half of U.S. assistance to low-income food deficit countries, excluding Egypt.

1. Undertake a broader, more inclusive and more participatory Africa Food Security Initiative that fosters partnerships among civil society, government, and the private sector and includes bilateral support as well as expanded U.S. support for multilateral initiatives promoting African food security. There have been several consultations in Washington on the Africa Food Security Initiative by AID staff with private and voluntary organizations, business representatives, and representatives from U.S. land grant colleges and universities. It is important that further consultations take place with indigenous organizations in the countries where the initiative will be implemented. U.S. PVOs should be asked to identify program partners or other organizations that they think should be involved in such consultations. Consistent with proposals for greater donor coordination, USAID should consider its Africa Food Security Initiative in relation to other bilateral and multilateral food security initiatives as well as African regional initiatives.

1. Restore funding levels for voluntary U. S contributions to United Nations development programs to 1994 levels. Continued U.S. support for U.N. agencies is important for a variety of reasons. The U.S. has indicated its intention to focus its resources on those countries where governments show a genuine willingness to pursue policies and programs to increase food security. A multilateral approach in countries where such commitment is not evident may be more effective and preferable to simply abandoning the people of those countries, particularly because such isolation may create the conditions for future conflict and unrest. Beyond this, the U.N. plays a vitally important role in convening global problem-solving processes and U.N. agencies are engaged in innovative and groundbreaking conceptual work on human development.

1. Revise USAID food security policy guidelines to provide a more coherent framework for agency programming in this area, building on proceedings and follow-up deliberations of the World Food Summit. Greater conceptual clarity should enhance the effectiveness of food security activities. Revised policy guidelines could serve as a useful vehicle for integrated and comprehensive programs to promote food security.

1. Require reporting by USAID in the annual Congressional Presentation of the amount of funding for agriculture and rural development and for food security activities for the previous year. Since the USAID functional accounts were discontinued it has become very difficult to determine the amount of resources being spent on agriculture and rural development. This lack of information, combined with congressional earmarks for child survival and other specific programs may have contributed to the steady decrease in funding for agriculture and rural development over time. Public debate over aid priorities and the need for programming flexibility would be enhanced by regular reporting on spending levels for these programs. Such reporting is also consistent with norms of public accountability.

1. Sustain U.S. support for bilateral and multilateral family planning, health, nutrition, and education programs as an integral part of efforts to achieve food security. USAID has been a leader in family planning, health, nutrition and education programs and has devoted significant levels of funding for these programs. All are important components of food security and should be maintained while at the same time doing more to integrate these with other food security activities.

1. Build support in Congress for food security efforts by educating Members of Congress the issues and about successful programs to promote greater food security. This should include PVO-sponsored visits by Members of Congress to food security programs in low-income food deficit countries. Congress is an important player in elevating the priority accorded to food security concerns. The Administration and PVOs should work together to involve specific Members of Congress in food security deliberations and strategies. Bread for the World's 1998 Offering of Letters, Africa: Seeds of Hope, provides an important opportunity to increase awareness in Congress of food security concerns. InterAction members should be encouraged to invite Members of Congress to participate in PVO-sponsored visits to food security projects in low-income food deficit countries.

1. Review implementation of Gender Plan of Action in USAID food security programs. The Gender Plan of Action should provide a useful tool for promoting gender analysis in various aspects of USAID programs. Specific attention to food security should be a priority in 1998.

1. Through InterAction's Commission on the Advancement of Women, convene U.S. humanitarian, development, and refugee organizations to examine the particular gender issues related to food security and to identify and/or develop useful methods and approaches of incorporating these concerns in food security efforts. Some initial steps already have been taken in this direction and plans are underway to expand these efforts in 1998.

Prepared by

Cheryl Morden

Church World Service/

Lutheran World Relief

Tel: 202-543-6336

Fax: 202-546-6232

e-mail: cmorden@igc.org