Welcome from the Cochairs

A number of policy developments indicate a shift in thinking about the importance of agricultural development in addressing the challenges of global food insecurity and poverty.  After two decades of decline in the world’s support for agricultural research, education, extension, and infrastructure improvements, the international community, with the leadership of the United States, has pledged to elevate agriculture’s priority on the development agenda, and begin to better address the plight of more than 600 million people living on less than $1-a-day in rural areas.  President Obama’s call to double U.S. support for global agriculture at the G-20 Summit in April 2009, the G-8 commitment to a $20 billion multinational food security initiative, and Secretaries Clinton and Vilsack’s multi-year plan to advance global food security are just a few examples of statements that indicate a policy shift. 

Through sustained leadership, the right commitment of financial and technical resources, and strong partnerships, these policies have the potential to drastically reduce the number of people living in abject poverty by lengths that have not been seen since the Green Revolution. 

The Global Agricultural Development Initiative, convened by The Chicago Council on Global Affairs, aims to inform and advance the national conversation on the importance of agricultural development in alleviating global poverty and food insecurity.  The Initiative:

• Provides a clearinghouse for information and resources on issues related to international agriculture and food through its website, weekly news brief, and blog;
• Develops policy analysis and proposals on key aspects of global agriculture and food policy; and
• Connects diverse perspectives on global agriculture through meetings and working groups. 

The Global Agricultural Development Initiative is built on the success of the study on agricultural development we recently cochaired.  Released in February 2009, the study’s final report, Renewing American Leadership in the Fight Against Global Hunger and Poverty, provided a strategic plan for how the United States could better support the development of agriculture and food systems in the developing world. 

Although there are signals that agriculture will again play a leading role on the U.S. and international development agendas, there is still much work to be done.  It is our hope the Global Agricultural Development Initiative will help provide leaders from the policy, business, academia, NGO, international organization, and foundation sectors the information, technical expertise, and political impetus to engender a deep and lasting commitment to agricultural development from the U.S. government and its partners. 

Sincerely,