Feed the Future

Feed the Future
Name	Feed the Future
Type	International development program
Founded	2010
Founder	Barack Obama
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.
Area served	Global, with emphasis on Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia
Parent organization	United States Agency for International Development

Feed the Future is a United States government-led initiative launched to address global food security, agricultural productivity, and malnutrition. It coordinates efforts among agencies such as the United States Agency for International Development, the United States Department of Agriculture, the United States Department of State, and international partners including the World Bank, the Food and Agriculture Organization, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The initiative targets long-term resilience and market-led growth through partnerships with national governments, private sector firms like Cargill and Nestlé, and research institutions such as the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research and International Food Policy Research Institute.

Background and Objectives

Feed the Future was announced by Barack Obama and shaped through policy dialogues involving actors like Hillary Clinton, Rajiv Shah, and officials from the United Kingdom and European Union. Its objectives align with international frameworks exemplified by the Millennium Development Goals and later the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly targets addressing hunger and malnutrition. The program emphasizes agricultural productivity, dietary diversification, smallholder farmer incomes, and resilience to shocks such as those studied after events like the Horn of Africa drought and the 2011 East Africa drought. Strategic aims reference lessons from historic initiatives including Green Revolution research and collaborations with institutes like International Rice Research Institute and CIMMYT.

Programs and Initiatives

Feed the Future funds a portfolio of programs spanning research, value chain development, and nutrition. Research partnerships involve bodies such as USAID Feed the Future Innovation Lab consortia, CGIAR centers including IRRI and ICRISAT, and universities like Cornell University, University of California, Davis, and Michigan State University. Value chain projects engage multinational firms such as Unilever, traders like Louis Dreyfus Company, and local cooperatives modeled after organizations like Mondragon Corporation. Nutrition interventions draw on guidelines from World Health Organization and partner with NGOs like CARE, Save the Children, and World Vision. Climate-smart agriculture pilots reference methodologies from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and tools developed by NASA and NOAA.

Geographic Focus and Partnerships

Feed the Future concentrates geographically on priority countries across Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and parts of Southeast Asia and Latin America. Priority country lists have included nations such as Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Guatemala. National partnerships engage ministries analogous to Ministry of Agriculture (Ethiopia), provincial administrations like those in Bihar and Punjab (Pakistan), and regional bodies such as the African Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Multilateral coordination occurs with institutions including the International Monetary Fund, the World Food Programme, and regional development banks like the African Development Bank.

Implementation and Funding

Implementation is led by United States Agency for International Development in coordination with agencies such as United States Department of Agriculture and United States Department of State. Funding streams combine bilateral appropriations from the United States Congress, philanthropic investment from entities like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Rockefeller Foundation, private capital from firms such as Rabobank and Goldman Sachs, and loans or grants from the World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank. Program delivery is executed through contracts and grants with organizations including Chemonics International, Deloitte, Mercy Corps, and research partners at institutions like Stanford University.

Impact and Evaluation

Feed the Future has been evaluated by independent reviewers including Government Accountability Office, academic researchers at Tufts University and Johns Hopkins University, and monitoring by USAID Office of Inspector General. Reported impacts cite increased crop yields for staple crops like maize, rice, and sorghum, expanded market access, and reductions in child stunting in some target regions. Evaluations reference methodologies used in studies by Randomized controlled trial practitioners at Harvard University and University of Chicago and align with metrics from the World Bank’s World Development Indicators. Impact assessment draws on case studies from programs in Ethiopia’s Productive Safety Net Programme context and value chain analyses akin to those applied in Rwanda’s coffee sector.

Criticism and Controversies

Feed the Future has faced criticism from scholars and NGOs including Oxfam, ActionAid, and researchers at University of Sussex for perceived emphasis on commercial agriculture and private-sector partnerships involving companies like Monsanto (now Bayer). Debates mirror controversies surrounding biotechnology and seed sovereignty in contexts like the Green Revolution in India and cite concerns raised during negotiations involving the World Trade Organization and Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights. Critics have pointed to challenges in measuring nutrition outcomes, potential displacement of local agroecological practices championed by movements such as Via Campesina, and issues noted in audit reports by the USAID Office of Inspector General and commentary from lawmakers on the United States Congress.

Category:International development