The Africa Food Security Initiative is an important complement to the President's Greater Horn of Africa Initiative that is working to promote regional cooperation and prevent crises and conflict in the Greater Horn. This ten-year initiative will provide essential supplemental resources to address a growing food and poverty crisis in Africa. This is a win-win proposal. Modest investments made today will have major payoffs in the future. Hungry children will be better nourished, enhanced food security will help to avert costly crises like Rwanda and Somalia, and direct benefits will accrue to the U.S. economy as well.
Current trends point to a hunger and food security crisis in Africa.
Malnutrition already is a cause of over a third of deaths of children under the age of five in Africa. Per capita food production has been steadily declining for almost three decades. Africa is the only region of the world where per capita production has not increased over the long- term. Like all trends, this can be reversed. Agriculture in Africa has the potential to be a source of dynamic economic growth and meet the food needs of Africa s people.