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[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2909 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

113th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2909

   To authorize a comprehensive strategic approach for United States 
   foreign assistance to developing countries to end extreme global 
   poverty and hunger, achieve food and nutrition security, promote 
    endurable, long-term, agricultural-led economic growth, improve 
    nutritional outcomes, especially for women and children, build 
resilient, adaptive, local capacity of vulnerable populations, and for 
                        other related purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 18, 2014

   Mr. Casey (for himself, Mr. Johanns, Mr. Coons, Mr. Isakson, Mr. 
Cardin, and Mr. Boozman) introduced the following bill; which was read 
        twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
   To authorize a comprehensive strategic approach for United States 
   foreign assistance to developing countries to end extreme global 
   poverty and hunger, achieve food and nutrition security, promote 
    endurable, long-term, agricultural-led economic growth, improve 
    nutritional outcomes, especially for women and children, build 
resilient, adaptive, local capacity of vulnerable populations, and for 
                        other related purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Global Food Security Act of 2014''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) According to the Food and Agriculture Organization 
        (FAO), 805,000,000 people worldwide suffer from chronic hunger. 
        Hunger and malnutrition rob people of health and productive 
        lives and stunt the mental and physical development of future 
        generations.
            (2) According to the January 2014 Worldwide Threat 
        Assessment of the United States Intelligence Community report, 
        the ``[l]ack of adequate food will be a destabilizing factor in 
        countries important to U.S. national security that do not have 
        the financial or technical abilities to solve their internal 
        food security problems'' and ``[f]ood and nutrition insecurity 
        in weakly governed countries might also provide opportunities 
        for insurgent groups to capitalize on poor conditions, exploit 
        international food aid, and discredit governments for their 
        inability to address basic needs''.
            (3) Decades of research have shown that there are multiple 
        underlying causes of food insecurity and poor nutrition, 
        including the lack of availability of, access to, and 
        consumption of nutritious food, limited investments to improve 
        agricultural productivity, insufficient value chains and market 
        development for farmers, including small-scale producers, 
        leading to post-harvest loss, and weak institutions in 
        government and civil society.
            (4) Agriculture, which comprises large portions of the 
        total labor force in many developing countries, is an essential 
        component of inclusive economic growth. According to the World 
        Bank's 2008 World Development Report, growth in the 
        agricultural sector has been twice as effective in reducing 
        poverty as growth in other sectors.
            (5) Women, who are often heads of households and small 
        farmers, are especially vulnerable to food insecurity. Women 
        frequently face stricter constraints than men in accessing 
        markets and resources. In its 2010-2011 report, the FAO 
        estimated that if women farmers had the same access to inputs 
        as men, they could increase their farm yields by 20 to 30 
        percent. According to the FAO, this ``could raise total 
        agricultural output in developing countries by 2.5-4 percent''.
            (6) More than 165,000,000 children younger than 5 years of 
        age, and 1 in 3 women in the developing world, suffer from 
        malnutrition, which leads to severe health and developmental 
        consequences.
            (7) Malnutrition can undermine future earning potential by 
        as much as 20 percent and can inhibit economic growth by as 
        much as 3 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). The African 
        Union Commission Cost of Hunger in Africa study estimated that 
        the economic costs associated with child undernutrition are 
        substantial, ranging from 2 percent to 16 percent of the gross 
        national product (GNP) in several African nations.
            (8) Research shows that adults who suffered from stunting 
        as children are less productive than nonstunted workers and are 
        less able to contribute to the economy. According to Save the 
        Children's 2013 Food for Thought report, if the current 
        malnutrition rates continue, global output could be reduced by 
        $125,000,000,000 by 2030, when the young children of today have 
        reached working age.
            (9) A comprehensive approach to endurable food security 
        should not only respond to emergency food shortages, but should 
        also address malnutrition, resilience against food and 
        nutrition insecurity due to disasters, building the capacity of 
        poor, rural populations to improve their agricultural 
        productivity, nutrition, and incomes, institutional impediments 
        to agricultural development, value chain access and efficiency, 
        agribusiness development, access to markets for the specific 
        needs and barriers facing women and small-scale producers, 
        education, and cooperative research.
            (10) An effective, sustainable approach to combating food 
        insecurity requires participation from multiple stakeholders, 
        including government, the private sector, international 
        organizations, local and nongovernmental stakeholders, 
        grassroots and civil society organizations, and higher 
        education research institutions.
            (11) Nongovernmental organizations, faith-based groups, 
        community-based organizations, and cooperatives can increase 
        the effectiveness of public investments by building local 
        capacity, strengthening food and nutrition security and 
        resilience, and leveraging additional resources.
            (12) The United States has provided consistent global 
        leadership in addressing food security and investing in 
        agricultural development and humanitarian assistance. In 2010, 
        the United States Government launched Feed the Future (FTF), an 
        initiative designed to expand and better coordinate the United 
        States investments in improving global food security. FTF is a 
        whole-of-government approach that works across agricultural 
        value chains and focuses on the dual objectives of improving 
        farmer productivity, income, and livelihoods in developing 
        countries and improving the nutrition of women and children.
            (13) The United States Government spearheaded the creation 
        of the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP), 
        which mobilizes contributions from a wide range of 
        international donors to support the goals of FTF. Since 2010, 
        the GAFSP has leveraged approximately $730,000,000 from 10 
        donors and reached an estimated 12,000,000 direct beneficiaries 
        in 25 countries.

SEC. 3. POLICY OBJECTIVES; SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    (a) Statement of Policy Objectives.--It is in the national security 
interest of the United States to promote global food and nutrition 
security, consistent with national agriculture investment plans, which 
is reinforced through programs, activities, and initiatives that--
            (1) eradicate hunger and malnutrition, especially for women 
        and children;
            (2) assist foreign countries to achieve long-term, 
        endurable, and inclusive agricultural development by 
        emphasizing--
                    (A) increased agricultural productivity, income, 
                and growth;
                    (B) reduction in poverty; and
                    (C) improved skills building and market linkages, 
                including for small-scale producers and women who face 
                specific constraints in accessing markets and 
                resources; and
            (3) ensure the effective use of United States taxpayer 
        dollars to further these objectives.
    (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of the Congress that the 
Administrator, in providing assistance under this Act, should--
            (1) coordinate, through a whole-of-government approach, the 
        efforts of relevant Federal departments and agencies to 
        implement the strategy set forth in section 5(a);
            (2) utilize, to the extent possible, open and streamlined 
        solicitations to allow for the participation of a wide range of 
        implementing partners;
            (3) consider the provision of assistance through the most 
        appropriate contracting mechanism, whether it be grants, 
        cooperative agreements, or contracts, in order to best meet 
        objectives; and
            (4) continue to strengthen existing partnerships between 
        developing country institutions of agricultural sciences with 
        universities in the United States, with a focus on building the 
        capacities of developing nation universities in agriculture.

SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

            (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
        Administrator of the United States Agency for International 
        Development.
            (2) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
        ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
                    (A) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 
                Senate;
                    (B) the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and 
                Forestry of the Senate;
                    (C) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate;
                    (D) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House 
                of Representatives;
                    (E) the Committee on Agriculture of the House of 
                Representatives; and
                    (F) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of 
                Representatives.
            (3) Feed the future innovation labs.--The term ``Feed the 
        Future Innovation Labs'' means research partnerships led by 
        United States universities that advance solutions to reduce 
        global hunger, poverty, and malnutrition.
            (4) Feed the future strategy.--The term ``Feed the Future 
        Strategy'' means the strategy developed and implemented 
        pursuant to section 5(a).
            (5) Food and nutrition security.--The term ``food and 
        nutrition security'' means access to, and availability, 
        utilization, and stability of, sufficient food to meet caloric 
        and nutritional needs for an active and healthy life.
            (6) Malnutrition.--The term ``malnutrition'' means poor 
        nutritional status caused by nutritional deficiency or excess.
            (7) Resilience.--The term ``resilience'' means the ability 
        of people, households, communities, countries, and systems to 
        mitigate, adapt to, and recover from shocks and stresses in a 
        manner that reduces chronic vulnerability and facilitates 
        inclusive growth.
            (8) Small-scale producer.--The term ``small-scale 
        producer'' means farmers, pastoralists, and fishers that have a 
        low-asset base and limited resources, including land, capital, 
        skills and labor, and, in the case of farmers, typically farm 
        on fewer than 5 hectares of land.
            (9) Stunting.--The term ``stunting'' refers to a condition 
        that--
                    (A) is measured by a height-to-age ratio that is 
                more than 2 standard deviations below the median for 
                the population;
                    (B) manifests in children who are younger than 2 
                years of age, and is a process that can continue in 
                children after they reach 2 years of age, resulting in 
                an individual being ``stunted'';
                    (C) is a sign of chronic malnutrition; and
                    (D) can lead to long-term poor health, delayed 
                motor development, impaired cognitive function, and 
                decreased immunity.

SEC. 5. COMPREHENSIVE FOOD SECURITY STRATEGY.

    (a) Feed the Future Strategy.--
            (1) In general.--The Administrator shall coordinate the 
        development and implementation of a United States whole-of-
        government strategy to accomplish the policy objectives set 
        forth in section 3(a), which shall--
                    (A) support and be aligned with country-owned 
                agriculture, nutrition, and food security policy and 
                investment plans developed with input from relevant 
                governmental and nongovernmental sectors within partner 
                countries and regional bodies, including 
                representatives of the private sector, agricultural 
                producers, including women and small-scale producers, 
                international and local civil society organizations, 
                research institutions, and farmers;
                    (B) support inclusive agricultural value chain 
                development, with producers, including women and small-
                scale producers, gaining greater access to the inputs, 
                skills, networking, bargaining power, financing, and 
                market linkages needed to sustain their long-term 
                economic prosperity;
                    (C) seek to improve the nutritional status of women 
                and children, especially during the critical 1,000-day 
                window beginning at the beginning of a woman's 
                pregnancy and ending on her child's second birthday;
                    (D) ensure the long-term success of programs by 
                building the capacity of local organizations and 
                institutions;
                    (E) harness science, technology, and innovation, 
                including the research conducted at Feed the Future 
                Innovation Labs throughout the United States;
                    (F) leverage resources and expertise through 
                partnerships with the private sector, farm 
                organizations, cooperatives, civil society, research 
                entities, and academic institutions;
                    (G) support collaboration, as appropriate, between 
                United States universities and public and private 
                institutions in developing countries to promote 
                agricultural development and innovation;
                    (H) set clear and transparent selection criteria 
                for target countries, regions, and intended 
                beneficiaries of assistance provided under this Act;
                    (I) set specific and measurable goals, targets, and 
                time frames, and a plan of action consistent with the 
                policy objectives described in the Feed the Future 
                Strategy;
                    (J) ensure that target countries respect and 
                promote the lawful land tenure rights of local 
                communities, particularly those of women and small-
                scale producers; and
                    (K) include criteria and methodology for graduating 
                countries from United States assistance provided under 
                this Act once the countries have achieved certain 
                benchmarks.
            (2) Governing law.--In carrying out the purposes of this 
        Act, assistance may be provided pursuant to section 103, 
        section 103A, title XII of chapter 2 of part I, and chapter 4 
        of part II of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 
        2151a, 2151a-1, 2220a et seq., and 2346 et seq.) 
        notwithstanding any other provision of law.
    (b) Feed the Future Coordination.--The Administrator shall 
coordinate, through a whole-of-government approach, the efforts of 
relevant Federal departments and agencies in the implementation of the 
Feed the Future Strategy by--
            (1) establishing policy coherence, monitoring and 
        evaluation systems, and coordination across all relevant United 
        States Government agencies;
            (2) establishing linkages with other initiatives and 
        strategies of the United States Agency for International 
        Development, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of 
        State, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, the Overseas 
        Private Investment Corporation, the Peace Corps, the United 
        States Trade Representative, the United States Africa 
        Development Foundation, the Department of Commerce, the 
        Department of the Treasury, and the United States Geological 
        Survey;
            (3) establishing platforms for regular consultation and 
        collaboration with key stakeholders, including--
                    (A) multilateral institutions;
                    (B) private voluntary organizations;
                    (C) cooperatives;
                    (D) the private sector;
                    (E) local nongovernmental and civil society 
                organizations;
                    (F) congressional committees; and
                    (G) other stakeholders, as appropriate;
            (4) leveraging the expertise of the Department of 
        Agriculture in agricultural development, nutrition, trade, 
        research, and education; and
            (5) establishing and leading regular public consultations 
        in partner countries.

SEC. 6. REPORTING.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, and not later than December 31 of each year 
thereafter through 2020, the Administrator shall submit a report to the 
appropriate congressional committees that describes the status of the 
implementation of the Feed the Future Strategy.
    (b) Content.--The report required under subsection (a) shall--
            (1) contain an appendix of the Feed the Future Strategy;
            (2) identify any substantial changes made in the Feed the 
        Future Strategy during the preceding calendar year;
            (3) identify the indicators that will be used to measure 
        results, set benchmarks for progress over time, and establish 
        mechanisms for reporting results in an open and transparent 
        manner;
            (4) describe the progress made in implementing the Feed the 
        Future Strategy;
            (5) assess the progress and results of implementing 
        international food and nutrition security programming;
            (6) contain a transparent, open, and detailed accounting of 
        spending under this Act by all relevant Federal agencies;
            (7) identify any United States legal or regulatory 
        impediments that could obstruct the effective implementation of 
        the programming referred to in paragraph (5);
            (8) contain a clear gender analysis of programming that 
        includes established disaggregated gender indicators to better 
        analyze outcomes for food productivity, income growth, equity 
        in access to inputs, jobs and markets, and nutrition;
            (9) describe the strategies and benchmarks for graduating 
        target countries and monitoring any graduated target countries;
            (10) assess efforts to coordinate United States 
        international food security and nutrition programs, activities, 
        and initiatives with--
                    (A) other bilateral donors;
                    (B) international and multilateral organizations;
                    (C) international financial institutions;
                    (D) host country governments;
                    (E) international and local private voluntary, 
                nongovernmental, and civil society organizations; and
                    (F) other stakeholders;
            (11) assess United States Government-facilitated private 
        investment in related sectors in target countries;
            (12) assess the impact of private sector investment on--
                    (A) the economic opportunities available to small-
                scale producers;
                    (B) improving international food and nutrition 
                security; and
                    (C) enhancing endurable, long-term agricultural 
                development;
            (13) include consultation with relevant United States 
        Government agencies in the preparation of the report; and
            (14) incorporate a plan for regularly reviewing and 
        updating strategies, partnerships, and programs and sharing 
        lessons learned with a wide range of stakeholders.
    (c) Public Availability of Information.--The information referred 
to in subsection (b) shall be made publicly accessible in a timely 
manner on a consolidated website.
    (d) Government Accountability Office Report.--During the 1-year 
period ending on December 31, 2018, the Comptroller General of the 
United States shall publish a report that summarizes the progress of 
the strategy described in section 5(a).

SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to the President to carry 
out this Act, for each of the fiscal years 2015 through 2020, an amount 
equal to the amount of funds made available for food security and 
agricultural development programs for fiscal year 2014 under section 
7060(d) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related 
Programs Appropriations Act, 2014 (division K of Public Law 113-76; 128 
Stat. 554).
                                 <all>
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