WASHINGTON, DC (April 13, 2016) — The global poverty-fighting organization CARE celebrates the passage today of the Global Food Security Act (H.R. 1567) by the U.S. House of Representatives and applauds the bill’s progress as the companion bill is considered in the Senate. The bill is an important step forward in the fight to end hunger and build just and sustainable food systems.
The Global Food Security Act requires a comprehensive global food and nutrition security strategy that places women at the center of the fight to end hunger and leverages taxpayer dollars by coordinating U.S. global food security programing. The bill is a zero-cost bill that demands sustainability from existing global food security programs.
One in 9 people in the world suffers from chronic hunger, and poor nutrition causes nearly half the deaths of children younger than 5 — 3.1 million children each year. But if women farmers had the same access to productive resources as men, they could increase yields on their farms by 20 percent to 30 percent – and the number of hungry people in the world would drop by up to 150 million.
“Through an effective, transparent and sustainable approach, this bill will ensure that smallholder farmers – and women in particular – are empowered to feed their families and their own communities,” said David Ray, vice president for Advocacy at CARE. “It’s encouraging to see it passing through the House, and we urge the two chambers to work together to advance this important legislation and get it to the President’s desk.”
The Global Food Security Act will improve U.S. programs, including the Feed the Future initiative, in order to support sustainable and equitable agricultural development, reduce global hunger and improve nutrition.
“CARE applauds the House’s passage of the bill, and we call on the Senate to finish their consideration of their companion bill and for both chambers to work together. It is time to send this to the President’s desk,” said Ray.
About CARE
Founded in 1945 with the creation of the CARE Package®, CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. CARE places special focus on working alongside women and girls because, equipped with the proper resources, they have the power to lift whole families and entire communities out of poverty. That’s why women and girls are at the heart of CARE’s community-based efforts to improve education and health, create economic opportunity, respond to emergencies and confront hunger. Last year CARE worked in 95 countries and reached more than 65 million people around the world. To learn more, visit www.care.org.
Media Contacts
Brian Feagans, bfeagans@care.org; 404-979-9453
Nicole Harris, nharris@care.org, 404-735-0871