Lugar-Casey Global Food Security Act

In the previous post, I asked you to call your representatives, now I'm asking you to call your Senators about the Lugar-Casey Global Food Security Act. This bill will provide assistance to foreign countries to promote food security, to stimulate rural economies, and to improve emergency response to food crises. Below is the list of sponsors and co-sponsors.

Sponsor: Sen. Richard Lugar [R-IN]

Co-Sponsors: Sen. Mark Begich [D, AK]

Sen. Jeff Bingaman [D, NM]

Sen. Roland Burris [D, IL]

Sen. Benjamin Cardin [D, MD]

Sen. Robert Casey [D, PA]

Sen. Susan Collins [R, ME]

Sen. Richard Durbin [D, IL]

Sen. Thomas Harkin [D, IA]

Sen. Tim Johnson [D, SD]

Sen. Edward Kaufman [D, DE]

Sen. John Kerry [D, MA]

Sen. Amy Klobuchar [D, MN]

Sen. Mary Landrieu [D, LA]

Sen. Patrick Leahy [D, VT]

Sen. Jeff Merkley [D, OR]

Sen. Debbie Ann Stabenow [D, MI]

Thank you for your help and flex your democratic muscles. For more information on Congressional Calls, click the "Legislation" link on the top of The Borgen Project website. You can find your Senators and their contact information here, or just click on any of the links above in the list of co-sponsors.

-Erica Stetz

SOURCE: Open Congress

Increased Food Security in Tanzania

Thanks to beneficial weather in Tanzania, crop production this year is expected to increase by 600,000 tons from last year for a total of 11.5 million metric tons. However, this is still not a surplus and farmers will not be able to export their crops for a profit. Though the increased production did help the local economy by allowing inflation to fall by 1.6 percent, leaving it at the current rate of 10.7 percent.

Tanzania’s Agriculture Minister, Steven Wassira, explains that while the weather helped with this season’s crops, drought-resistant crops still need to be developed to allow for a surplus. Currently, they are focusing on growing millet, sweet potatoes and cowpeas, which are hardy crops that are successful in the drier regions. The Ministry of Agriculture is also educating farmers on modern crop storage and other profitable techniques. A World Bank Loan of $90 million is currently subsidizing the needs of farmers to increase food security in Tanzania. The United States could help other countries implement programs such as this with the Global Food Security Act.
-Jessica Milstead

Cosponsor the Global Food Security Act

Although 980 million people live on less than a dollar a day, poverty is not unbeatable. By bringing U.S. political attention to the issue, we can make a big impact to improve the living standards of those who do not have access to enough food, basic education, sanitation and health facilities. In the past 20 years, the number of the world’s chronically undernourished fell by 50 percent. By making one phone call to our representatives, we can continue to make the situation better. Encouraging our senators to cosponsor legislation, such as the Global Food Security Act, makes funds available to USAID for providing food in countries suffering food crises and allows them to make plans to bring an end to the poverty cycle in developing countries. Between 1999 and 2004, an estimated 135 million people were lifted out of severe poverty in low-income countries. With your support, we can improve the lives of millions by ensuring they have the means to survive. Please call or email your senators today and ask them to cosponsor the Global Food Security Act.

Global Food Security Act of 2009

The Global Food Security Act of 2009, S. 384, will authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2010 through 2014 to provide assistance to foreign countries to promote food security, to stimulate rural economies and to improve emergency response to food crises.

The bill states that the objective of U.S. policy is to promote global food security, improve agricultural productivity and support the development of institutions of higher learning. In order to uphold these goals, the Global Food Security Act of 2009 directs the president to assign a Special Coordinator for Food Security to advise the president on global food security issues and to oversee implementation of a comprehensive food security strategy. The president would be required to report on the strategy implementation to specific congressional committees each year.

Other sections of the bill amend the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 expanding the scope of assistance to include conservation farming, nutrition for vulnerable populations and economic integration of persons in extreme poverty. In addition, the bill includes biotechnological advances appropriate to local ecological conditions under agricultural research.

In order to improve emergency response to food crises, the Global Food Security Act of 2009 establishes a United States Emergency Rapid Response to Food Crisis Fund and authorizes the president to provide assistance under this act for unexpected critical food assistance needs.

-- Jaimie Hwang