FAO, WFP Hail Global Food Security Act

The leaders of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and UN World Food Programme (WFP) have applauded U.S. President Barack Obama for signing the Global Food Security Act (GFSA). The GFSA supports initiatives that focus on developing agriculture, assisting small-scale food producers, and improving nutrition.

FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva said, "The United States is helping to put and even stronger emphasis on how food security and economic development are intertwined, while stressing the central role of small-scale family farmers in the fight against hunger and poverty."

"This law will have a dramatic impact on the lives of people throughout world, showing once again why the United States is a leader in promoting food security and helping those who struggle to feed their families so they can start to build their own future," says WFP Executive Director Ertharin Cousin.

The bill, passed with bipartisan support, writes into law the Feed the Future Program, the U.S. Government's global hunger initiative that helps countries struggling to provide their citizens with adequate access to food.

For more details, read the news release at the FAO website.