| The Word from Bill and Melinda |
| Wednesday, 08 June 2011 19:23 | |||
 Washington, D.C., June 2011— Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, recently told a group of political, business, and development leaders that supporting farming families in developing countries is critical to overcoming poverty and hunger.
Gates spoke at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs’ Symposium on Global Agriculture and Food Security, where leaders discussed how U.S. public and private sector support for agricultural development can advance global security, stability, and economic prosperity. He was joined by U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator Rajiv Shah, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, World Food Program Executive Director Josette Sheeran, and others. Congresswoman Kay Granger (R-Texas) introduced Gates, praising the foundation’s efforts to alleviate poverty and improve global health. In his first major address on agriculture to high-level members of the Obama administration and U.S. Congress, Gates noted that three-quarters of the world’s poorest people rely on small plots of land for their food and income. Helping these small farmers grow and sell more so they can become self-sufficient is the most effective way to reduce hunger and poverty, he said, giving examples of progress already happening in Africa and South Asia. Nearly a billion people in the world are hungry. In 2008, food prices jumped to record levels, causing riots, hunger, instability, and a plunge back into poverty for millions. Early this year, food prices spiked again, even higher than the peak of three years ago. But Gates argued that sweeping change is already underway. He praised U.S. leadership for helping to secure $22 billion in commitments to food security that were announced at the G8 and G20 meetings in 2009. While only about half of these pledges have been disbursed or are on track to be disbursed, Gates noted the commitment of President Obama and members of Congress from both sides of the aisle to spend $3.5 billion over three years through the Feed the Future program. He also lauded Congress for including $100 million in the budget for the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program. He noted that France has put food security and agriculture at the top of the G20 agenda this year. “We have a big budget deficit, and foreign assistance is always an easy target. So we need to tell people over and over why this spending is worth it—even in tight economic times,” Gates said. Gates said farming is a business that helps poor farmers build self-sufficiency and improve their lives. He explained how the foundation and its partners are focusing their efforts on helping farmers get better seeds, healthier soils, and access to markets, as well as supporting better data and policies. “In country after country, these approaches have improved the livelihoods of small farmers while reducing poverty and increasing economic growth,” noted Gates. “It’s proving the point again and again: helping poor farming families grow more crops and get them to market is the world's single most powerful lever for reducing poverty and hunger.” At the symposium, the Chicago Council released the first Annual Progress Report on U.S. Leadership in Agricultural Development, which tracks fulfillment of U.S. government food security policy development, implementation, and resourcing. To date, the Gates Foundation has committed $1.7 billion to agricultural development. The foundation takes a comprehensive approach to supporting small farmers so progress against hunger and poverty is sustainable for the economy and the environment. Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving people’s health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all people—especially those with the fewest resources—have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle, Washington, the foundation is led by CEO Jeff Raikes and Co-chair William H. Gates Sr., under the direction of Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett. SOURCE: The Gates Foundation
|
