At the 2009 G8 Summit in L'Aquila, Italy, President of the United States Barack Obama announced a $10.15 billion commitment over 3 years to an initiative that would focus on reducing hunger and poverty in developing countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and South East Asia. The United States and other G8 and G-20 countries committed a total of over 20 billion USD. The intent of the international commitment was to address food insecurity and poverty in a more comprehensive way; international efforts include supporting country-led plans for change, looking at root causes of food insecurity and poverty, increasing coordination with and the use of multi-lateral institutions, and approaching issues with the goal of increased sustainability and accountability