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| USAID Feed the Future | |
|---|---|
| Name | Feed the Future |
| Formation | 2010 |
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C. |
| Leader title | Administrator |
| Parent organization | United States Agency for International Development |
USAID Feed the Future is a U.S. international development initiative launched in 2010 to address global hunger, food security and agricultural development challenges through country-led programs. It operates via bilateral and multilateral partnerships, technical assistance, and investments in research, markets, and capacity-building to improve agricultural productivity, nutrition, and resilience. The initiative links to broader international efforts, including global forums and development finance institutions.
Feed the Future was created in response to the 2007–2008 global food price riots, the Millennium Development Goals, and rising concern among actors such as the G8 Summit, the World Bank, and the United Nations about acute food insecurity and malnutrition. The initiative drew on prior programs and frameworks established by the United States Agency for International Development, the Foreign Assistance Act, and commitments made at the L’Aquila Summit (2009). Founding documents and policy guidance were shaped by stakeholders including the U.S. Congress, the U.S. Department of State, research institutions such as the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, and philanthropic partners like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
The initiative’s core objectives align with goals set by the United Nations Millennium Declaration and later the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly targets on ending hunger and improving nutrition. Strategic priorities emphasize increasing agricultural productivity through science and innovation linked to research centers such as International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center and International Rice Research Institute, strengthening value chains engaging actors like World Trade Organization frameworks and regional bodies such as the African Union, and improving nutritional outcomes in line with recommendations from the World Health Organization and UNICEF.
Program design blends approaches from development actors such as Chemonics International, World Vision International, and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Implementation uses public-private partnerships with firms like Cargill and Syngenta, leverage from development banks including the International Finance Corporation and African Development Bank, and technical inputs from academic partners such as Cornell University, University of California, Davis, and Michigan State University. Interventions include farmer training, seed systems, irrigation projects influenced by practices from the Green Revolution, digital agriculture pilots inspired by GSMA mobile programs, and market facilitation drawing on models from USAID Development Credit Authority.
Feed the Future concentrated initial efforts in focal countries across regions including East Africa, West Africa, South Asia, and Central America. Notable partner countries include Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Burkina Faso, Mali, Bangladesh, Honduras, and Guatemala. Programming has also engaged regional organizations such as the African Union Commission, Economic Community of West African States, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations through regional initiatives and cross-border projects.
Funding streams originate from congressional appropriations to the United States Agency for International Development, supplemental budgets influenced by the U.S. Congress and executive priorities set by the White House and United States Secretary of State. Governance arrangements include coordination with multilateral mechanisms like the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program, bilateral agreements with ministries of agriculture, and alignment with multistakeholder partnerships including the Rockefeller Foundation, International Fund for Agricultural Development, and private sector consortia. Accountability and oversight involve audit and reporting processes tied to entities such as the Government Accountability Office and the Office of Management and Budget.
Monitoring and evaluation frameworks reference methodologies used by International Initiative for Impact Evaluation, Development Assistance Committee standards of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and research published in journals such as The Lancet and Science. Impact assessments examine productivity metrics, dietary diversity indicators endorsed by FAO and WHO, and economic outcomes measured in studies from institutions like the Brookings Institution and International Food Policy Research Institute. Results have been communicated at forums including the G20 and UN Climate Change Conferences where links between agriculture, resilience, and climate adaptation are debated.
Critiques have been raised by civil society organizations including Oxfam International and academic commentators affiliated with Tufts University and SOAS University of London regarding market-driven approaches, seed and input dependency resembling critiques of the Green Revolution, and the sustainability of interventions in fragile contexts such as conflict-affected areas including South Sudan and Yemen. Challenges include coordinating across donors like the European Union and Japan International Cooperation Agency, addressing trade-policy constraints influenced by World Trade Organization negotiations, and ensuring gender equity as highlighted by advocates from CARE International and researchers at Harvard University.