As budget talks in the U.S. Congress lurch toward a frenzied conclusion this week, the House is scheduled to vote today on a bill that gives staying power to U.S. President Barack Obama’s Feed the Future initiative.
If passed, the Global Food Security Act of 2014 would grant congressional authorization — though on a somewhat shorter-term basis than many hoped — to the U.S. Agency for International Development’s $1 billion effort to fight hunger in 19 targeted countries through agriculture programs.
Food security advocates are hopeful that with the passage of this bill, Feed the Future — considered a signature initiative of USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah — could find some long-term security in the new legislation and live on as a development legacy of the Obama-Shah administration.
About the author
Molly Andersmollyanders_dev
Molly Anders is a former U.K. correspondent for Devex. Based in London, she reports on development finance trends with a focus on British and European institutions. She is especially interested in evidence-based development and women’s economic empowerment, as well as innovative financing for the protection of migrants and refugees. Molly is a former Fulbright Scholar and studied Arabic in Syria, Jordan, Egypt and Morocco.
