“Today, the United States Congress passed the Global Food Security Act of 2016, marking a historic step toward ending global hunger and malnutrition. This bold display of bipartisan leadership sends a clear message that the United States is committed to empowering smallholder farmers and strengthening communities and economies through agricultural development.

Early in President Obama’s first term, I had the great honor of taking part in the genesis of Feed the Future, the U.S. Government’s global hunger and food security initiative. It was born out of a vision that the agriculture sector should be one that enables people to grow, thrive, and create, and build better lives for their families and neighbors. Under President Obama’s leadership, we have marshaled resources across the government and brought key players – including leaders and farmers, scientists, civil society, and the private sector – together in support of the shared goals of improving nutrition and increasing incomes for millions of families across the world.

The Global Food Security Act will help to solidify the progress we have already made through Feed the Future. Investments in agriculture are up and leading to improved economic growth and nutrition outcomes. Farm productivity is rising across sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. And the Feed the Future model is proving itself in country after country, increasing incomes for smallholder farmers and contributing to notable drops in poverty and child stunting.

USAID and our many partners around the world are committed to continuing our work to end hunger and malnutrition by 2030. We thank Congress for bringing us closer to that goal today, providing hope to more than 795 million people who suffer from undernourishment, and ensuring that the United States will continue to lead into the future."

To find out more about Feed the Future, go to www.feedthefuture.gov