opment, research, innovation and humanitarian as-
sistance, particularly in Africa, Latin America and 
South Asia. 
(2) Nevertheless, according to the January 
2014 Worldwide Threat Assessment of the United 
States Intelligence Community report, ‘‘lack of ade-
quate food will be a destabilizing factor in countries 
important to United States national security that do 
not have the financial or technical abilities to solve 
their internal food security problems,’’ and ‘‘food 
and nutrition insecurity in weakly governed coun-
tries might also provide opportunities for insurgent 
groups to capitalize on poor conditions, exploit inter-
national food aid, and discredit governments for 
their inability to address basic needs’’. 
(3) According to the most recent estimates of 
the Food and Agriculture Organization of the 
United Nations, globally more than 805,000,000 
people suffer from chronic hunger. In addition, ap-
proximately 165,000,000 (or 1 in 4) children under 
the age of 5 are stunted, with 80 percent of the 
world’s stunted children living in just 14 countries. 
Mounting evidence from several peer-reviewed stud-
ies provide compelling evidence that undernutrition 
during the critical first 1,000 day window until age 
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two leads to stunting, a lifelong condition of poor 
health, impaired cognitive and physical development, 
and diminished productivity. 
(4) The provision of folic acid as a supplement 
to women of childbearing years has resulted in bene-
fits, including a reduction in incidents of autism in 
some populations. 
(5) The African Union Commission Cost of 
Hunger in Africa study estimated that the economic 
costs associated with child undernutrition are sub-
stantial—from 2 percent to 16 percent of the gross 
national product (GNP) in several African nations. 
For 
instance, 
this 
cost 
was 
estimated 
at 
$4,700,000,000 in Ethiopia in 2009 alone, which is 
the equivalent of 16 percent of Ethiopia’s GNP. 
(6) The Feed the Future Initiative (FTF) is 
the United States flagship global hunger and food 
security program. The primary objectives of FTF 
are to improve food security by increasing produc-
tivity and incomes as well as reducing hunger and 
to improve nutrition among 140,000,000 of the 
world’s poorest people in 19 priority countries. Feed 
the Future focuses on improving the lives of 
smallholder farmers, especially women and children. 
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(7) FTF leverages partnerships with a wide 
range of stakeholders—including private voluntary 
organizations, universities, faith-based groups, inter-
national and domestic research organizations, com-
munity-based organizations and cooperatives—har-
nesses new innovations and technologies, builds local 
capacity and sustainability, links to the global econ-
omy, and adheres to rigor, transparency and ac-
countability. 
(8) Its whole-of-government approach to food 
security 
brings 
together 
agriculture, 
economic 
growth, trade facilitation, nutrition, development, 
and humanitarian programs to achieve unprece-
dented results. For example, preliminary data indi-
cates child stunting rates in Ethiopia have declined 
at a 3.3 percent annual rate over the past 3 years, 
such that there are currently 160,000 fewer stunted 
children in Ethiopia despite population growth over 
this period. 
(9) In 2013, FTF reached more than 7,000,000 
farmers and other food producers resulting in the 
employment of new technologies and management 
practices on more than 4,000,000 hectares of land. 
Also in 2013, the initiative reached more than 
12,500,000 children with high impact nutrition 
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interventions such as micronutrient supplementation 
improving both health and development. 
(10) To increase responsible private agricultural 
investment, private sector executives and African 
leaders launched the New Alliance for Food Security 
and Nutrition (New Alliance). Since 2012, the New 
Alliance has expanded from three to ten African 
countries and approximately 180 African and inter-
national companies have committed to investing over 
$10,000,000,000 in African agriculture. 
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that United States efforts 
to end extreme global poverty should build upon the 
progress and successes of the Feed the Future Initiative 
in supporting agricultural development and addressing 
chronic hunger and malnutrition. 
SEC. 4. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 
It is the policy of the United States— 
(1) to reduce global poverty and hunger 
through a comprehensive food security and nutrition 
strategy known as the Feed the Future Initiative 
(FTF); 
(2) to implement FTF using a whole of govern-
ment approach; 
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(3) to promote agricultural development to help 
transform local economies, increase political sta-
bility, and expand trade; 
(4) to focus on country-led agricultural prior-
ities in partnership with local governments, donor 
organizations, multilateral institutions, the private 
sector, civil society, and international and university 
research institutions in the United States; 
(5) to increase the productivity, incomes and 
livelihoods 
of 
small-scale 
producers, 
especially 
women, by working across agricultural value chains 
and expanding farmer access to local and inter-
national markets; 
(6) to promote secure and transparent land 
rights in order to enable responsible investment in 
agriculture; 
(7) to target research, develop new technologies, 
utilize extension agents, and improve post-harvest 
storage in order to reduce food waste; 
(8) to improve the nutrition of women and chil-
dren, with a focus on reducing child stunting; 
(9) to expand access to diverse and quality 
foods and enhance nutrition-related behaviors that 
improve maternal and child health; and 
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(10) to increase the resilience of vulnerable 
communities and households by building capacity in 
safety nets and decreasing the need for emergency 
assistance. 
SEC. 5. ASSISTANCE TO REDUCE GLOBAL POVERTY AND 
HUNGER IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES ON A 
SUSTAINABLE AND GLOBAL BASIS. 
(a) ASSISTANCE AUTHORIZED.— 
(1) 
IN
GENERAL.—The 
President, 
acting 
through the heads of the relevant Federal depart-
ments and agencies specified in paragraph (2), shall 
provide assistance to reduce poverty and hunger in 
developing countries. To the extent consistent with 
the requirements of this Act, such assistance should 
be provided in accordance with the terms and condi-
tions of the Federal program known as the ‘‘Feed 
the Future Initiative’’ (as such program was in ef-
fect on the day before the date of the enactment of 
this Act). 
(2) RELEVANT
FEDERAL
DEPARTMENTS
AND 
AGENCIES.—The relevant Federal departments and 
agencies specified in this paragraph are the United 
States Agency for International Development, the 
Department of Agriculture, the Department of Com-
merce, the Department of State, the Department of 
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the Treasury, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, 
the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, the 
Peace Corps, the Office of the United States Trade 
Representative, the United States African Develop-
ment Foundation, the United States Geological Sur-
vey, and any other department or agency specified 
by the President for purposes of this paragraph. 
(3) PROVISIONS OF LAW.—Assistance author-
ized under this subsection that is provided pursuant 
to the authorities of 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.) 
may be provided notwithstanding any other provision 
of law. 
(4) REFERENCE.—Assistance authorized under 
this subsection may be referred to as the ‘‘Feed the 
Future Initiative’’. 
(b) COORDINATION.—The President, acting through 
the Administrator of the United States Agency for Inter-
national Development, shall coordinate the efforts of the 
relevant Federal departments and agencies under sub-
section (a). 
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(c) STRATEGIC APPROACH.—Assistance authorized 
under subsection (a) should be provided under a strategic 
approach that— 
(1) prioritizes the overarching dual objectives; 
(A) increasing agricultural productivity, in-
come, and economic growth, with a strong em-
phasis on small-scale producers; and 
(B) improving nutrition, especially of 
women and children; 
(2) takes a whole-of-government approach of 
Federal departments and agencies that engage in 
some aspect of food security, nutrition security, and 
agricultural development; 
(3) is driven by country strategies, ownership, 
and engagement; 
(4) harnesses science, technology, and innova-
tion; 
(5) leverages unique partnerships in develop-
ment, including farmers’ organizations, cooperatives, 
the private sector, civil society and faith-based orga-
nizations, research entities, and academic institu-
tions; 
(6) has a strong focus on women’s economic 
empowerment and nutrition; 
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(7) builds capacity of local organizations and 
institutions; 
(8) integrates and strengthens resilience ap-
proaches to ensure that chronically vulnerable popu-
lations are linked to market systems and longer-term 
economic growth opportunities; 
(9) supports and seeks to align with country- 
owned agriculture, nutrition, and food security policy 
and investment plans developed with input from rel-
evant governmental and non-governmental sectors 
within partner countries and regional bodies, includ-
ing representatives of the private sector, small-scale 
producers, and international and local civil society 
and faith-based organizations; 
(10) gives consideration to integrating agricul-
tural development activities among food insecure 
populations living in proximity to designated na-
tional parks or wildlife areas to support wildlife con-
servation efforts; 
(11) engages, when appropriate, the expertise of 
United States institutions of higher education in col-
laboration with public and private institutions in de-
veloping countries; and 
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(12) assesses criteria to determine where agri-
cultural development assistance is no longer re-
quired. 
(d) REQUIREMENTS.—Assistance authorized under 
subsection (a) should meet the following requirements: 
(1) Be consistent with a country-led, multilat-
eral, accountable process, and a comprehensive ap-
proach to agricultural development, nutrition, and 
resilience. 
(2) Maintain an emphasis on the cross-cutting 
issues of nutrition, land tenure, research, technology 
innovation, and supporting women farmers. 
(3) Engage strong partnerships with the private 
sector, educational institutions, and civil society and 
faith-based organizations. 
(4) Build the capacity of local organizations 
and institutions. 
(5) Develop community and farmer resiliency to 
natural disasters, emergencies, and natural occur-
rences that adversely impact agricultural yield. 
(e) MONITORING AND EVALUATION.—Assistance au-
thorized under subsection (a) should be provided under es-
tablished parameters for a rigorous accountability system 
to monitor and evaluate progress and impact, including 
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