,i #aacth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,r4 #efef ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,september #ah1 #bjad ,mr4 ,smith of ,new ,jersey 7for himself and ,ms4 ,mc,collum7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs ,a ,,bill ,to authorize the ,feed the ,future ,initiative to reduce global poverty and hunger in developing countries on a sustainable basis1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,feed the ,future ,global ,food ,security ,act of #bjad4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,for more than #fj years1 the ,united ,states has provided consistent global leadership in addressing food security and investing in agricultural development1 research1 innovation and humanitarian assistance1 particularly in ,africa1 ,latin ,america and ,south ,asia4 7#b7 ,nevertheless1 according to the ,january #bjad ,worldwide ,threat ,assessment of the ,united ,states ,intelligence ,community report1 lack of adequate food will be a destabilizing factor in countries important to ,united ,states national security that do not have the financial or technical abilities to solve their internal food security problems1 and food and nutrition insecurity in weakly governed countries might also provide opportunities for insurgent groups to capitalize on poor conditions1 exploit international food aid1 and discredit governments for their inability to address basic needs4 7#c7 ,according to the most recent estimates of the ,food and ,agriculture ,organization of the ,united ,nations1 globally more than #hje1jjj1jjj people suffer from chronic hunger4 ,in addition1 approximately #afe1jjj1jjj 7or #a in #d7 children under the age of #e are stunted1 with #hj percent of the world's stunted children living in just #ad countries4 ,mounting evidence from several peer-reviewed studies provide compelling evidence that undernutrition during the critical first #a1jjj day window until age two leads to stunting1 a lifelong condition of poor health1 impaired cognitive and physical development1 and diminished productivity4 7#d7 ,the provision of folic acid as a supplement to women of childbearing years has resulted in benefits1 including a reduction in incidents of autism in some populations4 7#e7 ,the ,african ,union ,commission ,cost of ,hunger in ,africa study estimated that the economic costs associated with child undernutrition are substantial--from #b percent to #af percent of the gross national product 7,,gnp7 in several ,african nations4 ,for instance1 this cost was estimated at #d1gjj1jjj1jjj in ,ethiopia in #bjji alone1 which is the equivalent of #af percent of ,ethiopia's ,,gnp4 7#f7 ,the ,feed the ,future ,initiative 7,,ftf7 is the ,united ,states flagship global hunger and food security program4 ,the primary objectives of ,,ftf are to improve food security by increasing productivity and incomes as well as reducing hunger and to improve nutrition among #adj1jjj1jjj of the world's poorest people in #ai priority countries4 ,feed the ,future focuses on improving the lives of smallholder farmers1 especially women and children4 7#g7 ,,ftf leverages partnerships with a wide range of stakeholders--including private voluntary organizations1 universities1 faith-based groups1 international and domestic research organizations1 community-based organizations and cooperatives--harnesses new innovations and technologies1 builds local capacity and sustainability1 links to the global economy1 and adheres to rigor1 transparency and accountability4 7#h7 ,its whole-of-government approach to food security brings together agriculture1 economic growth1 trade facilitation1 nutrition1 development1 and humanitarian programs to achieve unprecedented results4 ,for example1 preliminary data indicates child stunting rates in ,ethiopia have declined at a #c4c percent annual rate over the past #c years1 such that there are currently #afj1jjj fewer stunted children in ,ethiopia despite population growth over this period4 7#i7 ,in #bjac1 ,,ftf reached more than #g1jjj1jjj farmers and other food producers resulting in the employment of new technologies and management practices on more than #d1jjj1jjj hectares of land4 ,also in #bjac1 the initiative reached more than #ab1ejj1jjj children with high impact nutrition interventions such as micronutrient supplementation improving both health and development4 7#aj7 ,to increase responsible private agricultural investment1 private sector executives and ,african leaders launched the ,new ,alliance for ,food ,security and ,nutrition 7,new ,alliance74 ,since #bjab1 the ,new ,alliance has expanded from three to ten ,african countries and approximately #ahj ,african and international companies have committed to investing over #aj1jjj1jjj1jjj in ,african agriculture4 #c4 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that ,united ,states efforts to end extreme global poverty should build upon the progress and successes of the ,feed the ,future ,initiative in supporting agricultural development and addressing chronic hunger and malnutrition4 #d4 ,statement of policy ,it is the policy of the ,united ,states-- 7#a7 to reduce global poverty and hunger through a comprehensive food security and nutrition strategy known as the ,feed the ,future ,initiative 7,,ftf72 7#b7 to implement ,,ftf using a whole of government approach2 7#c7 to promote agricultural development to help transform local economies1 increase political stability1 and expand trade2 7#d7 to focus on country-led agricultural priorities in partnership with local governments1 donor organizations1 multilateral institutions1 the private sector1 civil society1 and international and university research institutions in the ,united ,states2 7#e7 to increase the productivity1 incomes and livelihoods of small-scale producers1 especially women1 by working across agricultural value chains and expanding farmer access to local and international markets2 7#f7 to promote secure and transparent land rights in order to enable responsible investment in agriculture2 7#g7 to target research1 develop new technologies1 utilize extension agents1 and improve post-harvest storage in order to reduce food waste2 7#h7 to improve the nutrition of women and children1 with a focus on reducing child stunting2 7#i7 to expand access to diverse and quality foods and enhance nutrition-related behaviors that improve maternal and child health2 and 7#aj7 to increase the resilience of vulnerable communities and households by building capacity in safety nets and decreasing the need for emergency assistance4 #e4 ,assistance to reduce global poverty and hunger in developing countries on a sustainable and global basis 7a7 ,assistance authorized 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,president1 acting through the heads of the relevant ,federal departments and agencies specified in paragraph 7#b71 shall provide assistance to reduce poverty and hunger in developing countries4 ,to the extent consistent with the requirements of this ,act1 such assistance should be provided in accordance with the terms and conditions of the ,federal program known as the ,feed the ,future ,initiative 7as such program was in effect on the day before the date of the enactment of this ,act74 7#b7 ,relevant federal departments and agencies ,the relevant ,federal departments and agencies specified in this paragraph are the ,united ,states ,agency for ,international ,development1 the ,department of ,agriculture1 the ,department of ,commerce1 the ,department of ,state1 the ,department of the ,treasury1 the ,millennium ,challenge ,corporation1 the ,overseas ,private ,investment ,corporation1 the ,peace ,corps1 the ,office of the ,united ,states ,trade ,representative1 the ,united ,states ,african ,development ,foundation1 the ,united ,states ,geological ,survey1 and any other department or agency specified by the ,president for purposes of this paragraph4 7#c7 ,provisions of law ,assistance authorized under this subsection that is provided pursuant to the authorities of section #ajc1 section #ajc;,a1 title ,,xii of chapter #b of part ,i1 and chapter #d of part ,,ii of the ,foreign ,assistance ,act of #aifa 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #baea;a1 #baea;a-#a1 #bbbj;a et seq41 and #bcdf et seq47 may be provided notwithstanding any other provision of law4 7#d7 ,reference ,assistance authorized under this subsection may be referred to as the ,feed the ,future ,initiative4 7b7 ,coordination ,the ,president1 acting through the ,administrator of the ,united ,states ,agency for ,international ,development1 shall coordinate the efforts of the relevant ,federal departments and agencies under subsection 7a74 7c7 ,strategic approach ,assistance authorized under subsection 7a7 should be provided under a strategic approach that-- 7#a7 prioritizes the overarching dual objectives2 7,a7 increasing agricultural productivity1 income1 and economic growth1 with a strong emphasis on small-scale producers2 and 7,b7 improving nutrition1 especially of women and children2 7#b7 takes a whole-of-government approach of ,federal departments and agencies that engage in some aspect of food security1 nutrition security1 and agricultural development2 7#c7 is driven by country strategies1 ownership1 and engagement2 7#d7 harnesses science1 technology1 and innovation2 7#e7 leverages unique partnerships in development1 including farmers' organizations1 cooperatives1 the private sector1 civil society and faith-based organizations1 research entities1 and academic institutions2 7#f7 has a strong focus on women's economic empowerment and nutrition2 7#g7 builds capacity of local organizations and institutions2 7#h7 integrates and strengthens resilience approaches to ensure that chronically vulnerable populations are linked to market systems and longer-term economic growth opportunities2 7#i7 supports and seeks to align with country-owned agriculture1 nutrition1 and food security policy and investment plans developed with input from relevant governmental and non-governmental sectors within partner countries and regional bodies1 including representatives of the private sector1 small-scale producers1 and international and local civil society and faith-based organizations2 7#aj7 gives consideration to integrating agricultural development activities among food insecure populations living in proximity to designated national parks or wildlife areas to support wildlife conservation efforts2 7#aa7 engages1 when appropriate1 the expertise of ,united ,states institutions of higher education in collaboration with public and private institutions in developing countries2 and 7#ab7 assesses criteria to determine where agricultural development assistance is no longer required4 7d7 ,requirements ,assistance authorized under subsection 7a7 should meet the following requirements3 7#a7 ,be consistent with a country-led1 multilateral1 accountable process1 and a comprehensive approach to agricultural development1 nutrition1 and resilience4 7#b7 ,maintain an emphasis on the cross-cutting issues of nutrition1 land tenure1 research1 technology innovation1 and supporting women farmers4 7#c7 ,engage strong partnerships with the private sector1 educational institutions1 and civil society and faith-based organizations4 7#d7 ,build the capacity of local organizations and institutions4 7#e7 ,develop community and farmer resiliency to natural disasters1 emergencies1 and natural occurrences that adversely impact agricultural yield4 7e7 ,monitoring and evaluation ,assistance authorized under subsection 7a7 should be provided under established parameters for a rigorous accountability system to monitor and evaluate progress and impact1 including by reporting to ,congress and the public on an annual basis4 #f4 ,report 7a7 ,in general ,the ,president1 acting through the ,administrator of the ,united ,states ,agency for ,international ,development1 should submit to ,congress an annual report that details1 by fiscal year1 the programs and activities carried out under this ,act4 7b7 ,matters ,to be included 7#a7 ,in general ,the report requested by subsection 7a7 shall include a summary of significant issues and developments1 the outlook for the next fiscal year1 an analysis of performance and effectiveness against the results framework1 and details of results and activities with respect to the programs and related subject areas described in paragraph 7#b74 7#b7 ,programs and related subject areas described ,the programs and issues described in this paragraph are the following3 7,a7 ,country and regional programs4 7,b7 ,global and multilateral programs4 7,c7 ,nutrition integration4 7,d7 ,women's economic empowerment4 7,e7 ,stakeholder engagement1 including list of partner organizations and description of their respective roles4 7,f7 ,management and accountability4 7,g7 ,participation and research by ,united ,states and developing country institutions of higher education4 7,h7 ,policy and program management4 7,i7 ,areas related to private investment in developing countries and the impact of private sector investment on economic opportunities and income of small-scale producers4 7c7 ,additional matters ,to be included ,the report requested by subsection 7a7 should provide accountable and transparent information on ,united ,states ,government performance under this ,act4 #g4 ,authorization of appropriations ,there are authorized to be appropriated to the ,president to carry out this ,act1 for each of the fiscal years #bjae1 #bjaf1 and #bjag1 an amount equal to the amount of funds made available for food security and agricultural development programs for fiscal year #bjad under section #gjfj7;d7 of the ,department of ,state1 ,foreign ,operations1 and ,related ,programs ,appropriations ,act1 #bjad 7division ,k of ,public ,law #aac-gf2 #abh ,stat4 #eed74