SEATTLE — The Global Food Security Reauthorization Act was introduced in the House of Representatives on February 27, 2018, by the Committee on Foreign Affairs Representative Christopher H. Smith of New Jersey and Betty McCollum of Minnesota. Senators Johnny Isakson of Georgia and Bob Casey of Pennsylvania were the sponsors of this bill. On April 17, 2018, the Committee on Foreign Affairs unanimously agreed to amend the act. The act passed in the House unanimously and without objection in the Senate. Its public law number is 115-266 as of its inaction.

Meaning of the Law

The law was signed into action on October 11, 2018, by President Donald J. Trump. The law ensures that the United States will continue to provide aid for agricultural development projects in foreign countries. This law reaffirms the program Feed the Future that helps foreign governments develop policies to become agriculturally sustainable.

Feed the Future is a food security initiative secured by the Global Food Reauthorization Act. It brings the United States Government and foreign partners together to focus on solving the issues of malnutrition and starvation. It focuses primarily on education surrounding sustainable agriculture techniques and on providing adequate tools to implement these techniques. Its ultimate goal is ensuring global food security.

The Importance of the Law

The ratification of this law ensures that funding continues for the Feed the Future global hunger and food security initiative. The world is constantly growing and secure food sources are needed to feed the population without increasing nonrenewable resource use. Amendments to its previous form, the Global Food Security Act of 2016 now allow the United States to focus on diversifying the diets of partner countries in a sustainable manner.

The law was originally focused on providing sources of clean food- free of parasites and chemicals but now can progress by focusing on increasing diverse nutrition in partner countries. Partner countries in Africa have increased their government spending on sustainable food security by 25 percent since the implementation of the Feed the Future initiative. As a result of the initiative, an estimated 5.2 million families no longer live with food insecurity.

Fighting Global Poverty

Hunger and poverty are undeniably intertwined. Those who go hungry have stunted growth, lower energy and shorter life expectancy. The goal of the act is to create sustainable opportunities for individuals in partner countries. This means that providing these people with opportunities that do not involve reliance on foreign aid will allow them to be independent and have a consistent source of food.

The health benefits will allow these people to take advantage of the opportunities around them without worrying about whether they can physically make the effort. Essentially, by improving the consistency and quality of food access in partner countries, the United States stimulates the global economy. If an individual is not affected by extreme malnutrition and food insecurity, he or she is able to participate productively in society, decrease personal poverty level and have a more stable living situation.

Helping the Effort

The easiest way to help improve the quality of life in today’s world is to volunteer with organizations that support the Global Food Security Act and its partner initiative Feed the Future. The website of Feed the Future initiative consistently updates volunteer, job and internship opportunities that relate to the initiative. The United States government and nonprofit organizations support the initiative through various programs including the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Peace Corps and the U.S. Agency for International Development. The website also provides many other departments and nongovernmental organizations that have available programs that work to end world hunger and enable global food security.

– Emily Triolet

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