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- 10/21/08: Remarks by Henrietta Fore, Administrator, USAID and Director of U.S. Foreign Assistance at the White House Development Summit
- 10/08/08: Remarks by Henrietta Fore, USAID Administrator and Director of U.S. Foreign Assistance at The President's Freedom Agenda
- 10/01/08: Remarks by Henrietta H. Fore, Administrator, USAID and Director of U.S. Foreign Assistance, at the Ceremony Marking the Full Operational Capacity of Africa Command (AFRICOM)
- 09/25/08: Remarks by Henrietta H. Fore, Administrator, USAID and Director of U.S. Foreign Assistance, at 2008 Millennium Development Goal Malaria Summit, New York - "U.S. Leadership in the Fight Against Malaria"
- 09/22/08: Remarks by Henrietta H. Fore, Administrator, USAID and Director of U.S. Foreign Assistance, at the White House Symposium on Advancing Global Literacy - "U.S. Commitment to Advancing Global Literacy"
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Remarks by Secretary Ann M. Veneman
U.S. Department of Agriculture
50th Anniversary of Food for Peace
Washington, D.C.
July 21, 2004
Well, good morning, and thank you very much for that kind introduction. It is truly an honor to be here today as we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of this very important program, the Food for Peace Program.
And it is a great pleasure to be among so many people who share such a strong commitment for alleviating hunger and poverty around the world.
I also want to thank Administrator Natsios for his partnership and the partnership with his agency because it is that close collaborative working relationship that allows us to so effectively administer the U.S. Food Assistance Programs.
USAID has been excellent to work with side by side in the Administration's efforts to address the challenges of poverty and hunger and to promote economic development all around the world.
The United States has long been a leader in agriculture production. It has also consistently recognized its unique responsibility to help alleviate hunger through food donations, financial aid and technical assistance. Among donor nations we are the world's number one provider of both food assistance and developmental aid.
The United States has been providing international food aid since the 1920s. These efforts were greatly streamlined and expanded in 1954 when the Congress created a new agricultural commodity aid program-- the Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act of 1954 also known as Public Law 480 and more commonly referred to as the Food for Peace program.
This 50th anniversary conference, 'Bringing Hope to the Hungry,' marks a milestone year for the P.L. 480 Food for Peace Program. Despite many changes and newer initiatives, this program remains the centerpiece of U.S. global food assistance efforts.
P.L. 480 was enacted to use the great abundance from America's farms to assist countries that were experiencing emergencies requiring short-term food supplies as well as those lacking sufficient foreign exchange for commercial purposes.
And at that time it also continued American support of recovery efforts in Europe and other areas after the devastation of World War II.
Since then the goals of our assistance have changed in response to varying economic, financial, and political and agricultural conditions both at home and abroad. During the mid-1960s the emphasis shifted to the promotion of economic development and reduction of hunger and malnutrition abroad. Over the last 50 years our food aid and development assistance programs undoubtedly have saved millions of lives and helped many countries lift themselves out of poverty and dependence.
In fact some of our primary commercial markets today are former food aid recipients including Japan, Western Europe and South Korea. A study in the early 1960s reported that nearly two-thirds of the world population was hungry or poorly fed. Today it is less than one-fifth of a much larger global population.
So we have come a very long way with much growth and progress in creating true food security in many nations. We've also learned a great deal about development strategies, about the critical role of economic and trade policies, and the importance of technology in increasing food production to keep up with growing populations.
The work that we do today follows in America's long tradition as an outward-looking nation always willing to share our abundance to help others. It is a proud legacy indeed.
But we approach today's challenges with more humility than pride. Much still remains to be done before the world can begin to conceive of victory over hunger and poverty. But I can tell you that our commitment today is stronger than ever.
Whatever other challenges and obligations we have at home and abroad, USDA will continue to respond to the call of those in need around the world. One of the programs close to many of our hearts is the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program.
In many ways it is a 'child' of Food for Peace which George McGovern directed in the early 1960s. This program not only fills empty stomachs, but it also brings hope and opportunity through education to some of the world's poorest children. Under this program, we now support projects in 21 countries reaching some 2.3 million schoolchildren, mothers and infants.
Last November I traveled to Afghanistan and Iraq to see firsthand some of our vital efforts and the hope and progress that they are bringing to people there. I had the opportunity to visit bakeries where U.S. food aid is providing both low-cost food to families and employment to women.
I saw close-up some of the important work that USDA and USAID, private voluntary organizations, and the World Food Program are doing to help rebuild these countries. I can tell you that behind some of the pessimistic headlines are many more success stories of hope and progress like these.
Our food assistance goes hand in hand with development efforts. It serves multiple purposes -- funding, training, supporting infrastructure projects, expanding access to education, facilitating trade, and promoting free and open institutions.
The technical assistance we provide can help developing countries improve their regulatory and policy-making processes, attract critically needed investment and help their economies grow.
One of our top priorities is facilitating the transfer and adoption of new and existing technologies to increase agricultural productivity in parts of the world where poverty, hunger and malnutrition are worst. This was the goal of last year's Ministerial Conference on Agricultural Science and Technology, which we cosponsored with USAID and the Department of State.
At that conference in Sacramento, California, we brought together some 1,000 participants including 119 at the ministerial level to build partnerships and explore ways to use technologies for productivity gains.
The response was overwhelming, and many countries wanted to join us to keep the momentum going. We have done so, most notably with two follow-up regional science and technology conferences, one in Costa Rica for the Central American region, and another in Burkina Faso for the West Africa region.
And earlier this year we launched the Norman E. Borlaug Science and Technology Fellowship Program to support technical training and scientific exchanges with developing countries to help boost agricultural productivity. This program honors Nobel Laureate Dr. Norman Borlaug, the father of the Green Revolution.
He is an example for all of us who recognize that reducing hunger helps reduce human suffering and so many other problems, from economic stagnation and civil unrest to war and terrorism
USDA will continue to work with USAID and other partners to combine resources to address the root causes of hunger and poverty, not just the consequences. I know you will be discussing many of these issues during the conference today.
George Marshall, another Nobel Laureate, and the man who conceived the Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe after World War II, wrote: "Military power wins battles, but spiritual power wins wars."
For five decades the P.L. 480 Food for Peace program has reflected the nourishment of the body and also the spirit that is helping to bring peace and stability to many areas around the world.
Again, I want to thank all of you for your dedication and good work on behalf of the literally millions and millions who look to us for help. We continue to extend a hand to our less fortunate neighbors around the globe building and improving on the legacy of P.L. 480's first 50 years.
We remain firmly committed to helping create a world without hunger or deprivation. Thank you all very much.
[Applause.]
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