[BLOG] Obama's African "Food Security" Plan

President Obama has roll out phase two of his administration’s signature food security initiative, Feed the Future.

It is no doubt that food security deserves to be discussed as a priority at the G-8. One-quarter of the people in sub-Saharan Africa are undernourished and one-third of African children are stunted in their development.

President Obama was influential in persuading the G-8 leaders to focus on food security at the 2009 G-8 meeting in L’Aquila, Italy where world leaders pledged $20 billion over three years to address the problem. The U.S. itself committed to invest $3.5 billion.

In addition to building on Feed the Future, which reportedly will include a major private sector initiative, President Obama will face several challenges over the next two days related to food security.

The first will be to convey a sense that Feed the Future is beginning to have an impact in reducing malnutrition, increasing crop yields and increasing national and private sector investments in agriculture. Even though this program has the potential to significantly improve food security in the region, the results have yet to be realized by the intended beneficiaries.

Isaac Twumasi-Quantus

Editor

Africa Business Communities

www.africabusinesscommunities.com

This article was originally posted on West Africa Business Communities

 

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