House Hunger Caucus Convenes Experts for Collaborative Response

There is a growing consensus to collaborate and better coordinate efforts across various government agencies to address acute hunger and implement innovative solutions to sustainable food security to benefit the world’s poor.  Food security policy experts from across the U.S. Government gathered for a panel convened this week by the House Hunger Caucus to discuss just that.

Jolyne Sanjak, Managing Director for Implementation Support speaks at the U.S. House of Representatives Hunger Caucus briefing on food aid, nutrition, and agriculture Development Programs

MCC is pleased to have had a seat at the table, and we welcomed the opportunity to talk about our sustainable, market-based solutions to food security in partnership with the poor worldwide.  I invite you to read what Jolyne Sanjak, MCC’s Managing Director for Implementation Support, shared about our efforts to date.  We are grateful to the House Hunger Caucus-under the leadership of Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA), Rep. JoAnn Emerson (R-MO), Rep. Jerry Moran (D-KS), Rep. Betty McCollum (R-MN), Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D-ND), and Rep. John Boozman (R-AR)-for hosting the event and continuing to advance work on national and international hunger and food insecurity issues.

Our mission to reduce global poverty through economic growth means addressing the twin challenges of food insecurity and global hunger.  That’s why MCC has obligated nearly $3.2 billion since April 2005 in rural and agriculture-related projects to promote long-term access to sufficient, safe, and affordable food, including projects in 17 of our 18 partner countries. Projects like these are proof positive of the U.S. Government’s commitment to global food security.

The issue is a top Administration priority.  Secretary of State Clinton, who chairs MCC’s Board of Directors, states the problem succinctly: “Food insecurity and high food prices pose a threat to the prosperity and security in many developing countries.” President Obama lays out the way forward, “America will support new and meaningful investments in food security that can help the poorest weather the difficult days that will come.” And, last week, MCC welcomed Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues Melanne Verveer to our headquarters to participate in a timely discussion on food security and its connection to the role of gender in development.  Ambassador Verveer’s keynote reaffirmed fundamental realities: “Gender equality…constitutes both smart development and smart economics…We delude ourselves if we think…we can foster agriculture production, income generation, and better nutrition without empowering women…unless we take gender differences into consideration in our policy responses, we will not successfully address the food crisis in the short term nor create sustainable food security for the longer term.”

MCC agrees, and joined like-minded colleagues, including Ambassador Verveer, for an insightful conversation on the importance of gender integration in food security. Presentations from Women Thrive Worldwide-who partnered with us to make the event possible-and the International Food Policy Research Institute provided a rich framework to better understand the vital role gender plays in long-term economic development and sustainable food security.  A country’s sustainable growth is inextricably tied to providing all its citizens-men and women alike-with the tools they need to contribute to the productive lives of their households and communities.  Integrating gender into U.S. development assistance makes full use of every human being’s potential to create opportunities for themselves and their families.  Be sure to read the transcript.

MCC’s event on the nexus between food security and gender is the first in a series that we are planning to keep the spotlight shining on this global development priority.  Check back for details on upcoming events related to food security, to be posted soon to our website.

The holiday season is a particularly poignant time to reflect on the needs of those around the world who are less fortunate than ourselves.  We are responsive to the struggle and sacrifice confronting millions of families worldwide who are living in poverty.  Their incredible burdens are also the most basic of human needs-how to access shelter, food, health services, education, and jobs.  MCC is making a difference in this fight against systemic, entrenched poverty.  And, we are enhancing our efforts by partnering with organizations that share our core belief that generating sustainable prosperity, development, and growth can improve the lives of the poor.

MCC’s MOU with the World Food Program

MCC CEO Ambassador John Danilovich and World Food Program Executive Director Josette Sheeran, pictured here with a small red cup Sheeran brought from Africa is an actual portion size of the only food that some children in school food programs throughout the world receive on a daily basis.

Today, I joined Josette Sheeran, my good friend and a champion for the poor who serves as the World Food Program’s (WFP) Executive Director, to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the WFP and MCC that creates a framework for coordinating our investments to significantly leverage our mutual impact on global economic growth, poverty reduction, and improved food security.  The MoU outlines three areas of cooperation in countries where both the WFP and MCC work: agricultural production, policy and program reforms, and gender integration.  These are all important components for strengthening local markets and achieving food security.

Building on MCC’s existing partnership with the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), MCC and the WFP will initially work in countries where MCC is already collaborating with AGRA.  The cooperation between MCC and AGRA is bearing fruit and setting a precedent for results.  In Madagascar, for example, AGRA is considering an investment of over $500,000 to MCC-funded agricultural business centers to set up farmer-based seed multiplication sites for improved varieties of rice, corn, and beans.

MoUs like these-with AGRA and now with the WFP-demonstrate MCC’s commitment to augmenting U.S. taxpayer money with additional initiatives. This approach prevents duplication of efforts, enhances the impact of each project activity, and helps our partners attract investments in long-term growth.  Particularly in a time of severe financial constraints, this is a smart and strategic approach that ensures that every dollar counts.

MCC’s Partnerships throughout Latin America

What’s equally smart and strategic is the power of effective partnerships to fight poverty in the Americas.  With nearly $1 billion committed to compacts and threshold programs in the Americas, MCC is proof of positive and constructive U.S. engagement throughout the Western Hemisphere.

MCC CEO Ambassador John Danilovich shakes hands with Bharrat Jagdeo, the President of Guyana

I was reminded of this just yesterday when I welcomed Bharrat Jagdeo, the President of Guyana, to MCC to discuss progress on Guyana’s nearly $7 million MCC threshold program, which is aimed at overhauling fiscal policies, creating a more business-friendly environment, and streamlining business registration.  Guyana’s progress is proof of the deep resolve in the Americas to replace poverty with prosperity, and we are proud of our role in helping our partners achieve their self-determined, country-driven antipoverty plans.

Farmers in Honduras received technical assistance and training in small business skills and agricultural practices

Last night, I attended an event hosted by the Council of the Americas where I spoke about the “good news” of MCC’s approach to development assistance and what it is accomplishing in the hemisphere-students attending vocational training, thousands of families receiving land titles, farmers benefitting from training to increase their agricultural productivity, jobs being created, and key infrastructure being developed.  The slideshow of MCC’s work in Latin America provides an overview of the strength of our partnerships to transcend the often empty rhetoric of politics to deliver the tangible reality of positive, meaningful change for the poor.

MCC’s partnerships-whether with other donors or with partner countries-is how the fight against poverty will be won.  Through mutual accountability and a mutual investment of resources, expertise, and resolve, we see this underway already.  The time to further build on this progress is now.