Forging Alliances, Forging Ahead Against Hunger

A meeting coordinated by the US Alliance to End Hunger and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Liaison Office for North America on behalf of the International Alliance was held in Washington DC to discuss strategies to fight global hunger. Participated by representatives from Brazil, Canada, Israel, Jordan, Mexico, Sierra Leone and the United States, the meeting was highlighted by the sharing of ideas and best practices to raise awareness of potential donors on the importance of interaction across national groups working on hunger issues. The UN Foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Hewlett Foundation were some of the presenters.

FAO Assistant Director-General Lorraine Williams, Chair of the International Alliance against Hunger in her remarks appealed to US President-elect Barack Obama “to make the emancipation of humanity from hunger a centerpiece of American foreign policy.” She added, however, that “appeals to individual leaders, if they are to carry weight, must be reinforced by building a strong constituency of public support for the idea that mankind can – and must – rid the world of hunger once and forever". In a Congressional Briefing to the participants about hunger, Congressman Jim McGovern, Co-Chair of the House Hunger Caucus disclosed his optimism that the issue on hunger will be a priority in the new US administration.

The International Alliance was founded in 2003 by the Rome-based food and agriculture agencies – FAO, the World Food Programme, the International Fund for Agricultural Development and Bioversity International – to advocate jointly for more determined action against hunger and malnutrition.

For details, see press release at http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/8973/icode/