22 U.S.C. § 9302

Current through P.L. 118-106 (published on www.congress.gov on 10/04/2024)

Section 9302 - Statement of policy objectives; sense of Congress

(a) Statement of policy objectives

It is in the national interest of the United States to promote global food security, resilience, and nutrition, consistent with national food security investment plans, which is reinforced through comprehensive, multi-sectoral programs, activities, and initiatives that consider agriculture and food systems in their totality and that-

(1) place food insecure countries on a path toward self-sufficiency, economic freedom, and security through the phasing, sequencing, and coordination of United States foreign assistance programs;

(2) accelerate inclusive, agricultural-led economic growth that reduces global poverty, hunger, and malnutrition, particularly among women and children;

(3) increase the productivity, incomes, and livelihoods of small-scale producers and artisanal fishing communities, especially women in these communities, by working across terrestrial and aquatic food systems and agricultural value chains, including by-

(A) enhancing local capacity to manage agricultural resources and food systems effectively and expanding producer access to, and participation in, local, regional, and international markets;

(B) increasing the availability and affordability of high quality nutritious and safe foods and clean water;

(C) creating entrepreneurship opportunities and improving access to business development related to agriculture and food systems, including among youth populations, linked to local, regional, and international markets; and

(D) enabling partnerships to facilitate the development of and investment in new agricultural technologies to support more resilient and productive agricultural practices;

(4) build resilience to agriculture and food systems shocks and stresses, including global food catastrophes in which conventional methods of agriculture are unable to provide sufficient food and nutrition to sustain the global population, among vulnerable populations and households through inclusive growth, while reducing reliance upon emergency food and economic assistance;

(5) create an enabling environment for agricultural growth and investment, including through the promotion of secure and transparent property rights;

(6) improve the nutritional status of women, adolescent girls, and children, with a focus on reducing child stunting and incidence of wasting, including through the promotion of highly nutritious foods, diet diversification, large-scale food fortification, and nutritional behaviors that improve maternal and child health and nutrition, especially during the first 1,000-day window until a child reaches 2 years of age;

(7) demonstrably meet, align with and leverage broader United States strategies and investments in trade, economic growth, national security, combating fragility, resilience, science and technology, natural resource management¹ agriculture research and extension, maternal and child health, nutrition,,² including deworming, and water, sanitation, and hygiene;

(8) continue to strengthen partnerships between United States-based universities, including land-grant colleges, and universities and institutions in target countries and communities that build agricultural capacity; and

(9) ensure the effective use of United States taxpayer dollars to further these objectives.

(b) Sense of Congress

It is the sense of the Congress that the President, in providing assistance to implement the Global Food Security Strategy, should-

(1) coordinate, through a whole-of-government approach, the efforts of relevant Federal departments and agencies to implement the Global Food Security Strategy;

(2) seek to fully utilize the unique capabilities of each relevant Federal department and agency while collaborating with and leveraging the contributions of other key stakeholders; and

(3) utilize open and streamlined solicitations to allow for the participation of a wide range of implementing partners through the most appropriate procurement mechanisms, which may include grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, and other instruments as necessary and appropriate.

¹So in original. Probably should be followed by a comma.

²So in original.

22 U.S.C. § 9302

Pub. L. 114-195, §3, July 20, 2016, 130 Stat. 676; Pub. L. 117-263, div. E, title LV, §5588(b), Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 3375.

EDITORIAL NOTES

AMENDMENTS2022-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 117-263, §5588(b)(1), in introductory provisions, substituted "comprehensive, multi-sectoral programs, activities, and initiatives that consider agriculture and food systems in their totality and that" for "programs, activities, and initiatives that". Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 117-263, §5588(b)(2), substituted ",economic freedom, and security through the phasing, sequencing, and coordination" for "and economic freedom through the coordination".Subsec. (a)(3), (4). Pub. L. 117-263, §5588(b)(3), added pars. (3) and (4) and struck out former pars. (3) and (4) which read as follows: "(3) increase the productivity, incomes, and livelihoods of small-scale producers, especially women, by working across agricultural value chains, enhancing local capacity to manage agricultural resources effectively and expanding producer access to local and international markets; "(4) build resilience to food shocks among vulnerable populations and households while reducing reliance upon emergency food assistance;". Subsec. (a)(6). Pub. L. 117-263, §5588(b)(4), amended par. (6) generally. Prior to amendment, par. (6) read as follows: "improve the nutritional status of women and children, with a focus on reducing child stunting, including through the promotion of highly nutritious foods, diet diversification, and nutritional behaviors that improve maternal and child health;".Subsec. (a)(7). Pub. L. 117-263, §5588(b)(5), substituted "combating fragility, resilience, science and technology, natural resource management" for "science and technology," and inserted ",including deworming," after "nutrition,".

Global Food Security Strategy: The term "Global Food Security Strategy" means the strategy developed and implemented pursuant to section 9304(a) of this title.
key stakeholders: The term "key stakeholders" means actors engaged in efforts to advance global food security programs and objectives, including-(A) relevant Federal departments and agencies;(B) national and local governments in target countries;(C) other bilateral donors;(D) international and regional organizations;(E) international, regional, and local financial institutions;(F) international, regional, and local private voluntary, nongovernmental, faith-based, and civil society organizations;(G) the private sector, including agribusinesses and relevant commodities groups;(H) local agricultural producers, including farmer and fisher organizations, cooperatives, small-scale producers, youth, and women; and(I) agricultural research and academic institutions, including land-grant universities and extension services.
malnutrition: The term "malnutrition" means poor nutritional status caused by nutritional deficiency or excess.
relevant Federal departments and agencies: The term "relevant Federal departments and agencies" means the United States Agency for International Development, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Commerce, the Department of State, the Department of the Treasury, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, the United States International Development Finance Corporation, the Peace Corps, the Office of the United States Trade Representative, the United States African Development Foundation, the Inter-American Foundation, the United States Geological Survey, and any other department or agency specified by the President for purposes of this section.
resilience: The term "resilience" means the ability of people, households, communities, countries, and agriculture and food systems to mitigate, adapt to, and recover from shocks and stresses to food security, including global food catastrophes, in a manner that reduces chronic vulnerability and facilitates inclusive growth.
stunting: The term "stunting" refers to a condition that-(A) is measured by a height-to-age ratio that is more than 2 standard deviations below the median for the population;(B) manifests in children who are younger than 2 years of age;(C) is a process that can continue in children after they reach 2 years of age, resulting in an individual being "stunted";(D) is a marker of an environment deficient in the various needs that allow for a child's healthy growth, including nutrition; and(E) is associated with long-term poor health, delayed motor development, impaired cognitive function, and decreased immunity.
wasting: The term "wasting" means-(A) a life-threatening condition attributable to poor nutrient intake or disease that is characterized by a rapid deterioration in nutritional status over a short period of time; and(B) in the case of children, is characterized by low weight for height and weakened immunity, increasing their risk of death due to greater frequency and severity of common infection, particularly when severe.