Progress Report November 2009

Agricultural Development
for Reducing Hunger and
Rural Poverty
Provision of stable funding for technical assistance

An overview of Although nearly 1 billion people in developing countries face chronic hunger and poverty,
progress made on investment in agricultural development by the U.S. and other donor countries is minimal and at
a select number of an all-time low. Modest U.S. government support is often uncoordinated, short-term, limited in
scope and inconsistent with host country development plans and the needs of small farmers.
actions recommended
by the InterAction Action Recommended November 2008
NGO community
in the 2008 Allocate $750 million in the FY 2010 USAID Development Assistance Account, and increase invest-
Foreign Assistance ments over subsequent budget cycles to assure stable program support for USAID and other U.S.
Briefing Book on government agencies that provide technical assistance to developing countries.
Critical Problems,
Overall Progress as of November 2009
Recommendations, and
Actions for the Obama Comments and Evidence: President Obama’s FY 2010 budget
Administration and the request includes $779 million from the Development Assistance
111th Congress. Account for agricultural development and related programs to
establish food security. Legislative initiatives such as the Lugar/Casey
Global Food Security Act and Representative McCollum’s Global
Food Security Act indicate a willingness by members of Congress to
authorize funding levels similar to the president’s request.

The FY 2010 Department of State, Foreign Operations and Related

Programs Appropriations bill has not completed the legislative process,
but the House of Representatives has passed a bill that includes $1
billion for agricultural development and the Senate Committee bill
includes $1.2 billion (with $300 million for local and regional purchase
of local food aid). All signs indicate an increase in investments over
time, including a commitment to hire more technical officers within
USAID in the State Department reauthorization bill passed in the
House. We applaud each of these developments and will closely watch
what unfolds in this and future budget years.
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