[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1252 Reported in Senate (RS)]

<DOC>





                                                       Calendar No. 393
114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 1252

   To authorize a comprehensive strategic approach for United States 
foreign assistance to developing countries to reduce global poverty and 
    hunger, achieve food and nutrition security, promote inclusive, 
  sustainable, agricultural-led economic growth, improve nutritional 
  outcomes, especially for women and children, build resilience among 
            vulnerable populations, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 7, 2015

   Mr. Casey (for himself, Mr. Isakson, Mr. Coons, Ms. Collins, Mr. 
  Durbin, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Boozman, Mr. Rubio, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. 
   Kirk, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. Corker, and Mr. Cardin) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                           Foreign Relations

                             March 15, 2016

               Reported by Mr. Corker, with an amendment
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To authorize a comprehensive strategic approach for United States 
foreign assistance to developing countries to reduce global poverty and 
    hunger, achieve food and nutrition security, promote inclusive, 
  sustainable, agricultural-led economic growth, improve nutritional 
  outcomes, especially for women and children, build resilience among 
            vulnerable populations, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    This Act may be cited as the ``Global Food Security Act of 
2015''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 2. FINDINGS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    Congress makes the following findings:</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) According to the Food and Agriculture 
        Organization of the United Nations (referred to in this section 
        as the ``FAO''), 805,000,000 people worldwide suffer from 
        chronic hunger. Hunger and malnutrition rob people of health 
        and productive lives and stunt the mental and physical 
        development of future generations.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) According to the January 2014 ``Worldwide 
        Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community''--
        </DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) the ``[l]ack of adequate food will be 
                a destabilizing factor in countries important to US 
                national security that do not have the financial or 
                technical abilities to solve their internal food 
                security problems''; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) ``[f]ood and nutrition insecurity in 
                weakly governed countries might also provide 
                opportunities for insurgent groups to capitalize on 
                poor conditions, exploit international food aid, and 
                discredit governments for their inability to address 
                basic needs''.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) Decades of research have shown that there are 
        multiple underlying causes of food insecurity and poor 
        nutrition, including--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) the lack of availability of, access 
                to, and consumption of nutritious food;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) limited investments to improve 
                agricultural productivity;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) social and gender 
                inequality;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (D) insufficient value chains and market 
                development for farmers, including small-scale 
                producers, which lead to post-harvest loss; 
                and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (E) weak institutions in government and 
                civil society.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) Agriculture, which comprises large portions of 
        the total labor force in many developing countries, is an 
        essential component of inclusive economic growth. According to 
        the World Bank's 2008 World Development Report, growth in the 
        agricultural sector has been twice as effective in reducing 
        poverty as growth in other sectors.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) Women, who are often heads of households and 
        small farmers, are especially vulnerable to food insecurity. 
        Women frequently face stricter constraints than men in 
        accessing markets and resources. In its 2010-2011 report, the 
        FAO estimated that if women farmers had the same access to 
        inputs as men, they could increase their farm yields by 20 to 
        30 percent. According to the FAO, this ``could raise total 
        agricultural output in developing countries by 2.5-4 
        percent''.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (6) According to UNICEF--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) more than 161,000,000 children younger 
                than 5 years of age suffer from chronic malnutrition 
                (also referred to as stunting); and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) 1 in 3 women in the developing world 
                are anemic, which leads to severe health and 
                developmental consequences.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (7) According to the United Nations World Food 
        Programme, poor nutrition causes 45 percent of deaths in 
        children younger than 5 years of age.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (8) Malnutrition can--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) undermine future earning potential by 
                up to 20 percent; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) inhibit economic growth by up to 3 
                percent of gross domestic product.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (9) According to The Cost of Hunger in Africa 
        Study by the African Union Commission--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) the economic costs associated with 
                child undernutrition are substantial, ranging from 2 
                percent to 16 percent of the gross national product in 
                several African nations; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) adults who suffer from stunting as 
                children are less productive than nonstunted workers 
                and are less able to contribute to the 
                economy.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (10) According to Save the Children's 2013 Food 
        for Thought report, if the current malnutrition rates continue, 
        global output could be reduced by an estimated $125,000,000,000 
        by 2030, as the young children of today reach working 
        age.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (11) A comprehensive approach to sustainable food 
        and nutrition security should not only respond to emergency 
        food shortages, but should also address malnutrition, 
        resilience to food and nutrition insecurity, building the 
        capacity of poor, rural populations to improve their 
        agricultural productivity, and incomes, removing institutional 
        impediments to agricultural development, value chain access and 
        efficiency, including processing and storage, enhancing 
        agribusiness development, access to markets and activities that 
        address the specific needs and barriers facing women and small-
        scale producers, education, and collaborative 
        research.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (12) An effective, sustainable approach to 
        combating food insecurity requires consultation with, and 
        participation from, multiple stakeholders, including 
        government, the private sector, international organizations, 
        international and local nongovernmental stakeholders, 
        grassroots and civil society organizations, faith-based 
        organizations, and higher education research 
        institutions.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (13) Nongovernmental organizations, faith-based 
        organizations, community-based organizations, private voluntary 
        organizations, academic institutions, and cooperatives can 
        increase the effectiveness of public investments by building 
        local capacity, strengthening food and nutrition security and 
        resilience, and leveraging additional resources.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (14) The United States has provided consistent 
        global leadership in addressing food security and investing in 
        agricultural development and humanitarian assistance. In 2010, 
        the United States Government launched Feed the Future (referred 
        to in this paragraph as ``FTF''), an initiative designed to 
        expand and better coordinate the United States investments in 
        improving global food security. FTF is a whole-of-government 
        approach that works across agricultural value chains and 
        focuses on the dual objectives of improving farmer 
        productivity, income, and livelihoods in developing countries 
        and improving the nutrition of women and children.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (15) The United States Government spearheaded the 
        creation of the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program 
        (referred to in this paragraph as the ``GAFSP''), which 
        mobilizes contributions from a wide range of international 
        donors to support the goals of FTF. As of 2014, the GAFSP had 
        received pledges totaling $1,300,000,000 from 10 donors and 
        reached an estimated 12,000,000 direct beneficiaries in 25 
        countries.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 3. POLICY OBJECTIVES; SENSE OF CONGRESS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Statement of Policy Objectives.--It is in the national 
security interest of the United States to promote global food and 
nutrition security, consistent with national agriculture investment 
plans, which is reinforced through programs, activities, and 
initiatives that--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) eradicate hunger and malnutrition, especially 
        for women and children;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) assist foreign countries to achieve long-term, 
        sustainable, and inclusive agricultural development by 
        emphasizing--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) increased productivity, resiliency, 
                local management capacity, income, and 
                growth;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) reduction in poverty and long-term 
                vulnerability to food and nutrition insecurity; 
                and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) improved skills building and market 
                linkages for producers, especially for women and small-
                scale producers, who face specific constraints in 
                accessing markets, networks, and resources; 
                and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) ensure the effective use of United States 
        taxpayer dollars to further these objectives.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that 
the President, or a designee of the President, in providing assistance 
under this Act, should--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) coordinate, through a whole-of-government 
        approach, the efforts of relevant Federal departments and 
        agencies to develop and implement the strategy set forth in 
        section 5(a);</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) utilize, to the maximum extent possible, open 
        and streamlined solicitations, grants, and cooperative 
        agreements to allow for the participation of a wide range of 
        implementing partners; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) strengthen and expand partnerships between 
        developing country institutions of agricultural sciences with 
        universities in the United States, with a focus on building the 
        agricultural capacities of universities in developing 
        nations.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    In this Act:</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The 
        term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) the Committee on Foreign Relations of 
                the Senate;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) the Committee on Agriculture, 
                Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) the Committee on Appropriations of the 
                Senate;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (D) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of 
                the House of Representatives;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (E) the Committee on Agriculture of the 
                House of Representatives; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (F) the Committee on Appropriations of the 
                House of Representatives.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Feed the future innovation labs.--The term 
        ``Feed the Future Innovation Labs'' means research partnerships 
        led by United States universities that advance solutions to 
        reduce global hunger, poverty, and malnutrition.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) Feed the future strategy.--The term ``Feed the 
        Future Strategy'' means the strategy developed and implemented 
        pursuant to section 5(a).</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) Food and nutrition security.--The term ``food 
        and nutrition security'' means access to, and availability, 
        utilization, and stability of, sufficient food to meet caloric 
        and nutritional needs for an active and healthy life.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) Malnutrition.--The term ``malnutrition'' means 
        poor nutritional status caused by nutritional deficiency or 
        excess.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (6) Resilience.--The term ``resilience'' means the 
        ability of people, households, communities, countries, and 
        systems to mitigate, adapt to, and recover from shocks and 
        stresses in a manner that reduces chronic vulnerability and 
        facilitates inclusive growth.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (7) Small-scale producer.--The term ``small-scale 
        producer'' means farmers, pastoralists, and fishers that have a 
        low asset base and limited resources, including land, capital, 
        skills and labor, and, in the case of farmers, typically farm 
        on fewer than 5 hectares of land.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (8) Stunting.--The term ``stunting'' refers to a 
        condition that--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) is measured by a height-to-age ratio 
                that is more than 2 standard deviations below the 
                median for the population;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) manifests in children who are younger 
                than 2 years of age;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) is a process that can continue in 
                children after they reach 2 years of age, resulting in 
                an individual being ``stunted'';</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (D) is a sign of chronic malnutrition; 
                and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (E) can lead to long-term poor health, 
                delayed motor development, impaired cognitive function, 
                and decreased immunity.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (9) Sustainable.--The term ``sustainable'' means 
        the ability of a target country, community, implementing 
        partner, or intended beneficiary to maintain the programs 
        authorized and the outcomes achieved pursuant to this Act over 
        time.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (10) Target country.--The term ``target country'' 
        means a developing country that is selected to participate in 
        agriculture and nutrition security programs under the Feed the 
        Future Strategy.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 5. COMPREHENSIVE FOOD SECURITY STRATEGY.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Feed the Future Strategy.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) In general.--The President, or a designee of 
        the President, shall coordinate the development and 
        implementation of a United States whole-of-government strategy 
        to accomplish the policy objectives set forth in section 3(a), 
        which shall--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) support and be aligned with country-
                owned agriculture, nutrition, and food security policy 
                and investment plans developed with input from relevant 
                governmental and nongovernmental sectors within target 
                countries and regional bodies, including--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (i) representatives of the private 
                        sector;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (ii) agricultural producers, 
                        including women and small-scale 
                        producers;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (iii) international and local 
                        civil society organizations;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (iv) faith-based organizations; 
                        and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (v) research and academic 
                        institutions;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) support inclusive, sustainable 
                agricultural value chain development, with small-scale 
                producers, especially women, gaining greater access to 
                the inputs, skills, networking, resource management 
                capacity, bargaining power, financing, and market 
                linkages needed to sustain their long-term economic 
                prosperity;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) support the improvement of the 
                nutritional status of women and children, especially 
                during the critical 1,000-day window starting at the 
                beginning of a woman's pregnancy and ending 2 years 
                after her child's birth, with a focus on reducing child 
                stunting;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (D) urge target countries and communities 
                to respect and promote the land tenure rights of local 
                communities, particularly those of women and small-
                scale producers;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (E) support the long-term success of 
                programs by building the capacity of local 
                organizations and institutions;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (F) integrate resilience and nutrition 
                strategies into food security programs, such that 
                chronically vulnerable populations are better able to 
                build safety nets, secure livelihoods, access markets, 
                manage resources, and access opportunities for longer-
                term economic growth;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (G) develop community and producer 
                resilience to natural disasters, emergencies, and 
                natural occurrences that adversely impact productivity 
                and livelihoods;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (H) harness science, technology, and 
                innovation, including the research conducted at Feed 
                the Future Innovation Labs, or any successor entities, 
                throughout the United States;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (I) leverage resources and expertise 
                through partnerships with the private sector, farm 
                organizations, cooperatives, civil society, research 
                entities, and academic institutions;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (J) support collaboration between United 
                States universities and public and private institutions 
                in developing countries to promote agricultural 
                development and innovation;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (K) set clear and transparent selection 
                criteria for target countries, regions, and intended 
                beneficiaries of assistance provided under this 
                Act;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (L) set specific and measurable goals, 
                benchmarks, timetables, performance metrics, and 
                monitoring and evaluation plans that reflect 
                international best practices relating to transparency, 
                accountability, food and nutrition security, and 
                agriculture-led economic growth, consistent with the 
                policy objectives described in the Feed the Future 
                Strategy; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (M) include criteria and methodology for 
                graduating countries from United States assistance 
                provided under this Act once the countries have 
                achieved certain benchmarks.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Governing law.--Notwithstanding any other 
        provision of law, in carrying out the purposes of this Act, 
        assistance may be provided to the Department of State and the 
        United States Agency for International Development pursuant to 
        sections 103 and 103A, title XII of chapter 2 of part I, and 
        chapter 4 of part II of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 
        U.S.C. 2151a, 2151a-1, 2220a et seq., and 2346 et 
        seq.).</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Feed the Future Coordination.--The President, or a 
designee of the President, shall coordinate, through a whole-of-
government approach, the efforts of relevant Federal departments and 
agencies in implementing the Feed the Future Strategy by--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) establishing policy coherence, monitoring and 
        evaluation systems, and coordination across all relevant 
        Federal departments and agencies;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) aligning linkages with other initiatives and 
        strategies of the United States Agency for International 
        Development, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of 
        State, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, the Overseas 
        Private Investment Corporation, the Peace Corps, the United 
        States Trade Representative, the United States Africa 
        Development Foundation, the Department of Commerce, the 
        Department of the Treasury, and the United States Geological 
        Survey;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) establishing platforms for regular 
        consultation and collaboration with key stakeholders, 
        including--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) national and local 
                governments;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) multilateral institutions;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) private voluntary 
                organizations;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (D) cooperatives;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (E) the private sector;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (F) local nongovernmental and civil 
                society organizations;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (G) faith-based organizations;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (H) research and academic 
                institutions;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (I) congressional committees; 
                and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (J) other stakeholders, as 
                appropriate;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) leveraging the expertise of the Department of 
        Agriculture in agricultural development, nutrition, trade, 
        research, and education; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) establishing and leading regular public 
        consultations in target countries.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 6. REPORTING.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, and not later than December 31 of each year 
thereafter through 2020, the President, or a designee of the President, 
shall submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees that 
describes the status of the implementation of the Feed the Future 
Strategy.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Content.--The report required under subsection (a) 
shall--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) contain an appendix of the Feed the Future 
        Strategy;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) identify any substantial changes made in the 
        Feed the Future Strategy during the preceding calendar 
        year;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) identify the indicators that will be used to 
        measure results, set benchmarks for progress over time, and 
        establish mechanisms for reporting results in an open and 
        transparent manner;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) describe the progress made in implementing the 
        Feed the Future Strategy;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) assess the progress and results of 
        implementing international food and nutrition security 
        programming on the policy objectives set forth in section 
        3(a);</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (6) indicate how findings from monitoring and 
        evaluation were incorporated into program design and budget 
        decisions;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (7) contain a transparent, open, and detailed 
        accounting of spending under this Act by all relevant Federal 
        agencies, including a disaggregated accounting of assistance 
        provided through different procurement mechanisms;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (8) identify any United States legal or regulatory 
        impediments that could obstruct the effective implementation of 
        the programming referred to in paragraph (5);</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (9) describe how the Feed the Future Strategy 
        relates to other United States food security and development 
        assistance programs on the continuum from emergency food aid 
        through sustainable, agriculture-led economic growth;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (10) contain a clear gender analysis of 
        programming that includes established disaggregated gender 
        indicators to better analyze outcomes for food productivity, 
        income growth, control of assets, equity in access to inputs, 
        jobs and markets, and nutrition;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (11) describe the methodology and criteria for the 
        selection of target countries;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (12) describe related strategies and benchmarks 
        for graduating target countries and communities from assistance 
        provided under the Feed the Future Strategy over time, 
        including by building resilience, reducing risk, and enhancing 
        the sustainability of outcomes from United States investments 
        in agriculture and nutrition security;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (13) assess efforts to coordinate United States 
        international food security and nutrition programs, activities, 
        and initiatives with--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) other bilateral donors;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) international and multilateral 
                organizations;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) international financial 
                institutions;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (D) target country governments;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (E) international and local private 
                voluntary, nongovernmental, and civil society 
                organizations;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (F) research and academic institutions; 
                and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (G) other stakeholders;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (14) assess the status of institutional capacity 
        building efforts, including higher education;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (15) assess United States Government-facilitated 
        private investment in related sectors in target countries and 
        communities;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (16) assess the impact of private sector 
        investment on--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) the economic opportunities available 
                to small-scale producers, especially women;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) improving international food and 
                nutrition security;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) local land tenure issues; 
                and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (D) enhancing inclusive, sustainable 
                agricultural development;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (17) be prepared in consultation with relevant 
        United States Government agencies; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (18) incorporate a plan for regularly reviewing 
        and updating strategies, partnerships, and programs and sharing 
        lessons learned with a wide range of stakeholders in an open 
        and transparent manner.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (c) Public Availability of Information.--The information 
referred to in subsection (b) shall be made publicly accessible in an 
electronic format and in a timely manner.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (d) Government Accountability Office Report.--During the 
1-year period ending on December 31, 2019, the Comptroller General of 
the United States shall publish a report that--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) summarizes the progress of the strategy 
        described in section 5(a);</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) assesses the whole-of-government coordination 
        described in section 5(b);</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) assesses the mechanisms through which United 
        States assistance authorized under this Act is provided, 
        including a list of the major recipients of United States 
        contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) includes a review of evaluations conducted on 
        assistance provided under this Act; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) assesses the budget decisionmaking process, 
        including the role of monitoring and evaluation in program 
        design.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary 
of State and the Administrator of the United States Agency for 
International Development to carry out this Act, for each of the fiscal 
years 2015 through 2020, an amount equal to the amount of funds made 
available for food security and agricultural development programs for 
fiscal year 2014 under section 7060(d) of the Department of State, 
Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2014 
(division K of Public Law 113-76; 128 Stat. 554).</DELETED>

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Global Food Security Act of 2016''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of 
        the United Nations (referred to in this section as the 
        ``FAO''), 805,000,000 people worldwide suffer from chronic 
        hunger. Hunger and malnutrition rob people of health and 
        productive lives and stunt the mental and physical development 
        of future generations.
            (2) According to the January 2014 ``Worldwide Threat 
        Assessment of the US Intelligence Community''--
                    (A) the ``[l]ack of adequate food will be a 
                destabilizing factor in countries important to US 
                national security that do not have the financial or 
                technical abilities to solve their internal food 
                security problems''; and
                    (B) ``[f]ood and nutrition insecurity in weakly 
                governed countries might also provide opportunities for 
                insurgent groups to capitalize on poor conditions, 
                exploit international food aid, and discredit 
                governments for their inability to address basic 
                needs''.
            (3) A comprehensive approach to sustainable food and 
        nutrition security should not only respond to emergency food 
        shortages, but should also address malnutrition, resilience to 
        food and nutrition insecurity, building the capacity of poor, 
        rural populations to improve their agricultural productivity 
        and incomes, removing institutional impediments to agricultural 
        development, value chain access and efficiency, including 
        processing and storage, enhancing agribusiness development, 
        access to markets and activities that address the specific 
        needs and barriers facing women and small-scale producers, 
        education, and collaborative research.

SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY OBJECTIVES; SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    (a) Statement of Policy Objectives.--It is in the national security 
interest of the United States to promote global food security, 
resilience, and nutrition, consistent with national food security 
investment plans, which is reinforced through programs, activities, and 
initiatives that--
            (1) place food insecure countries on a path toward self-
        sufficiency and economic freedom through the coordination of 
        United States foreign assistance programs;
            (2) accelerate inclusive, agricultural-led economic growth 
        that reduces global poverty, hunger, and malnutrition, 
        particularly among women and children;
            (3) increase the productivity, incomes, and livelihoods of 
        small-scale producers, especially women, by working across 
        agricultural value chains, enhancing local capacity to manage 
        agricultural resources effectively and expanding producer 
        access to local and international markets;
            (4) build resilience to food shocks among vulnerable 
        populations and households while reducing reliance upon 
        emergency food assistance;
            (5) create an enabling environment for agricultural growth 
        and investment, including through the promotion of secure and 
        transparent property rights;
            (6) improve the nutritional status of women and children, 
        with a focus on reducing child stunting, including through the 
        promotion of highly nutritious foods, diet diversification, and 
        nutritional behaviors that improve maternal and child health;
            (7) align with and leverage broader United States 
        strategies and investments in trade, economic growth, science 
        and technology, agriculture research and extension, maternal 
        and child health, nutrition, and water, sanitation, and 
        hygiene;
            (8) continue to strengthen partnerships between United 
        States-based universities, including land-grant colleges, and 
        universities and institutions in target countries and 
        communities that build agricultural capacity; and
            (9) ensure the effective use of United States taxpayer 
        dollars to further these objectives.
    (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of the Congress that the 
President, in providing assistance to implement the Global Food 
Security Strategy, should--
            (1) coordinate, through a whole-of-government approach, the 
        efforts of relevant Federal departments and agencies to 
        implement the Global Food Security Strategy;
            (2) seek to fully utilize the unique capabilities of each 
        relevant Federal department and agency while collaborating with 
        and leveraging the contributions of other key stakeholders; and
            (3) utilize open and streamlined solicitations to allow for 
        the participation of a wide range of implementing partners 
        through the most appropriate procurement mechanisms, which may 
        include grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, and other 
        instruments as necessary and appropriate.

SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
        ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
                    (A) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 
                Senate;
                    (B) the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and 
                Forestry of the Senate;
                    (C) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate;
                    (D) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House 
                of Representatives;
                    (E) the Committee on Agriculture of the House of 
                Representatives; and
                    (F) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of 
                Representatives.
            (2) Feed the future innovation labs.--The term ``Feed the 
        Future Innovation Labs'' means research partnerships led by 
        United States universities that advance solutions to reduce 
        global hunger, poverty, and malnutrition.
            (3) Food and nutrition security.--The term ``food and 
        nutrition security'' means access to, and availability, 
        utilization, and stability of, sufficient food to meet caloric 
        and nutritional needs for an active and healthy life.
            (4) Global food security strategy.--The term ``Global Food 
        Security Strategy'' means the strategy developed and 
        implemented pursuant to section 5(a).
            (5) Key stakeholders.--The term ``key stakeholders'' means 
        actors engaged in efforts to advance global food security 
        programs and objectives, including--
                    (A) relevant Federal departments and agencies;
                    (B) national and local governments in target 
                countries;
                    (C) other bilateral donors;
                    (D) international and regional organizations;
                    (E) international, regional, and local financial 
                institutions;
                    (F) international, regional, and local private 
                voluntary, nongovernmental, faith-based, and civil 
                society organizations;
                    (G) the private sector, including agribusinesses 
                and relevant commodities groups;
                    (H) agricultural producers, including farmer 
                organizations, cooperatives, small-scale producers, and 
                women; and
                    (I) agricultural research and academic 
                institutions, including land-grant universities and 
                extension services.
            (6) Malnutrition.--The term ``malnutrition'' means poor 
        nutritional status caused by nutritional deficiency or excess.
            (7) Relevant federal departments and agencies.--The term 
        ``relevant Federal departments and agencies'' means the United 
        States Agency for International Development, the Department of 
        Agriculture, the Department of Commerce, the Department of 
        State, the Department of the Treasury, the Millennium Challenge 
        Corporation, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, the 
        Peace Corps, the Office of the United States Trade 
        Representative, the United States African Development 
        Foundation, the United States Geological Survey, and any other 
        department or agency specified by the President for purposes of 
        this section.
            (8) Resilience.--The term ``resilience'' means the ability 
        of people, households, communities, countries, and systems to 
        mitigate, adapt to, and recover from shocks and stresses to 
        food security in a manner that reduces chronic vulnerability 
        and facilitates inclusive growth.
            (9) Small-scale producer.--The term ``small-scale 
        producer'' means farmers, pastoralists, foresters, and fishers 
        that have a low asset base and limited resources, including 
        land, capital, skills and labor, and, in the case of farmers, 
        typically farm on fewer than 5 hectares of land.
            (10) Stunting.--The term ``stunting'' refers to a condition 
        that--
                    (A) is measured by a height-to-age ratio that is 
                more than 2 standard deviations below the median for 
                the population;
                    (B) manifests in children who are younger than 2 
                years of age;
                    (C) is a process that can continue in children 
                after they reach 2 years of age, resulting in an 
                individual being ``stunted'';
                    (D) is a sign of chronic malnutrition; and
                    (E) can lead to long-term poor health, delayed 
                motor development, impaired cognitive function, and 
                decreased immunity.
            (11) Sustainable.--The term ``sustainable'' means the 
        ability of a target country, community, implementing partner, 
        or intended beneficiary to maintain, over time, the programs 
        authorized and outcomes achieved pursuant to this Act.
            (12) Target country.--The term ``target country'' means a 
        developing country that is selected to participate in 
        agriculture and nutrition security programs under the Global 
        Food Security Strategy pursuant to the selection criteria 
        described in section 5(a)(2), including criteria such as the 
        potential for agriculture-led economic growth, government 
        commitment to agricultural investment and policy reform, 
        opportunities for partnerships and regional synergies, the 
        level of need, and resource availability.

SEC. 5. COMPREHENSIVE GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY STRATEGY.

    (a) Strategy.--The President shall coordinate the development and 
implementation of a United States whole-of-government strategy to 
accomplish the policy objectives set forth in section 3(a), which 
shall--
            (1) set specific and measurable goals, benchmarks, 
        timetables, performance metrics, and monitoring and evaluation 
        plans that reflect international best practices relating to 
        transparency, accountability, food and nutrition security, and 
        agriculture-led economic growth, consistent with the policy 
        objectives described in section 3(a);
            (2) establish clear and transparent selection criteria for 
        target countries, communities, regions, and intended 
        beneficiaries of assistance;
            (3) describe the methodology and criteria for the selection 
        of target countries;
            (4) support and be aligned with country-owned agriculture, 
        nutrition, and food security policy and investment plans 
        developed with input from key stakeholders, as appropriate;
            (5) support inclusive agricultural value chain development, 
        with small-scale producers, especially women, gaining greater 
        access to the inputs, skills, resource management capacity, 
        networking, bargaining power, financing, and market linkages 
        needed to sustain their long-term economic prosperity;
            (6) support improvement of the nutritional status of women 
        and children, particularly during the critical first 1,000-day 
        window until a child reaches 2 years of age and with a focus on 
        reducing child stunting, through nutrition-specific and 
        nutrition-sensitive programs, including related water, 
        sanitation, and hygiene programs;
            (7) facilitate communication and collaboration, as 
        appropriate, among local stakeholders in support of a multi-
        sectoral approach to food and nutrition security, to include 
        analysis of the multiple underlying causes of malnutrition, 
        including lack of access to safe drinking water, sanitation, 
        and hygiene;
            (8) support the long-term success of programs by building 
        the capacity of local organizations and institutions in target 
        countries and communities;
            (9) integrate resilience and nutrition strategies into food 
        security programs, such that chronically vulnerable populations 
        are better able to build safety nets, secure livelihoods, 
        access markets, and access opportunities for longer-term 
        economic growth;
            (10) develop community and producer resilience to natural 
        disasters, emergencies, and natural occurrences that adversely 
        impact agricultural yield;
            (11) harness science, technology, and innovation, including 
        the research and extension activities supported by relevant 
        Federal Departments and agencies and Feed the Future Innovation 
        Labs, or any successor entities;
            (12) integrate agricultural development activities among 
        food insecure populations living in proximity to designated 
        national parks or wildlife areas into wildlife conservation 
        efforts, as necessary and appropriate;
            (13) leverage resources and expertise through partnerships 
        with the private sector, farm organizations, cooperatives, 
        civil society, faith-based organizations, and agricultural 
        research and academic institutions;
            (14) strengthen and expand collaboration between United 
        States universities, including public, private, and land-grant 
        universities, with higher education institutions in target 
        countries to increase their effectiveness and relevance to 
        promote agricultural development and innovation through the 
        creation of human capital, innovation, and cutting edge science 
        in the agricultural sector;
            (15) seek to ensure that target countries and communities 
        respect and promote land tenure rights of local communities, 
        particularly those of women and small-scale producers; and
            (16) include criteria and methodologies for graduating 
        target countries and communities from assistance provided to 
        implement the Global Food Security Strategy as such countries 
        and communities meet the progress benchmarks identified 
        pursuant to section 8(b)(4).
    (b) Coordination.--The President shall coordinate, through a whole-
of-government approach, the efforts of relevant Federal departments and 
agencies in the implementation of the Global Food Security Strategy 
by--
            (1) establishing monitoring and evaluation systems, 
        coherence, and coordination across relevant Federal departments 
        and agencies;
            (2) establishing linkages with other initiatives and 
        strategies of relevant Federal departments and agencies; and
            (3) establishing platforms for regular consultation and 
        collaboration with key stakeholders and the appropriate 
        congressional committees.
    (c) Strategy Submission.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than October 1, 2016, the 
        President, in consultation with the head of each relevant 
        Federal department and agency, shall submit to the appropriate 
        congressional committees the Global Food Security Strategy 
        required under this section, including a detailed description 
        of how the United States intends to advance the objectives set 
        forth in section 3(a) and the agency-specific plans described 
        in paragraph (2).
            (2) Agency-specific plans.--The Global Food Security 
        Strategy shall include specific implementation plans from each 
        relevant Federal department and agency that describes--
                    (A) the anticipated contributions of the department 
                or agency, including technical, financial, and in-kind 
                contributions, to implement the Global Food Security 
                Strategy; and
                    (B) the efforts of the department or agency to 
                ensure that the activities and programs carried out 
                pursuant to the strategy are designed to achieve 
                maximum impact and long-term sustainability.

SEC. 6. ASSISTANCE TO IMPLEMENT THE GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY STRATEGY.

    (a) Food Shortages.--The President is authorized to carry out 
activities pursuant to section 103, section 103A, title XII of chapter 
2 of part I, and chapter 4 of part II of the Foreign Assistance Act of 
1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151a, 2151a-1, 2220a et seq., and 2346 et seq.) to 
prevent or address food shortages notwithstanding any other provision 
of law.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary of State and the Administrator of the 
United States Agency for International Development $1,000,600,000 for 
each of fiscal years 2017 and 2018 to carry out those portions of the 
Global Food Security Strategy that relate to the Department of State 
and the United States Agency for International Development, 
respectively.
    (c) Monitoring and Evaluation.--The President shall seek to ensure 
that assistance to implement the Global Food Security Strategy is 
provided under established parameters for a rigorous accountability 
system to monitor and evaluate progress and impact of the strategy, 
including by reporting to the appropriate congressional committees and 
the public on an annual basis.

SEC. 7. EMERGENCY FOOD SECURITY PROGRAM.

    (a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) the crisis in Syria, which is characterized by acts of 
        terrorism and atrocities directed against civilians, including 
        mass murder, forced displacement, aerial bombardment, ethnic 
        and religious persecution, torture, kidnapping, rape and sexual 
        enslavement, has triggered one of the most profound 
        humanitarian crises of this century and poses a direct threat 
        to regional security and the national security interests of the 
        United States;
            (2) it is in the national security interests of the United 
        States to respond to the needs of displaced Syrian persons and 
        the communities hosting such persons, including with food 
        assistance; and
            (3) after four years of conflict in Syria and the onset of 
        other major humanitarian emergencies where, like Syria, the 
        provision of certain United States humanitarian assistance has 
        been particularly challenging, including the 2013 super-typhoon 
        in the Philippines, the 2014 outbreak of Ebola in west Africa, 
        the 2015 earthquake in Nepal, ongoing humanitarian disasters in 
        Yemen and South Sudan, and the threat of a major El Nino event 
        in 2016, United States international disaster assistance has 
        become severely stressed.
    (b) Statement of Policy.--It shall be the policy of the United 
States, in coordination with other donors, regional governments, 
international organizations, and international financial institutions, 
to fully leverage, enhance, and expand the impact and reach of 
available United States humanitarian resources, including for food 
assistance, to mitigate the effects of manmade and natural disasters by 
utilizing innovative new approaches to delivering aid that support 
affected persons and the communities hosting them, build resilience and 
early recovery, and reduce opportunities for waste, fraud, and abuse.
    (c) Amendments to the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.--
            (1) Section 491 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 
        U.S.C. 2292) is amended--
                    (A) by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection 
                (d); and
                    (B) by inserting after subsection (b) the following 
                new subsection:
    ``(c) Emergency Food Security Program.--
            ``(1) In general.--Subject to the limitations in section 
        492, and notwithstanding any other provision of this or any 
        other Act, the President is authorized to make available 
        emergency food assistance, including in the form of funds, 
        transfers, vouchers, and agricultural commodities (including 
        products derived from agricultural commodities) acquired 
        through local or regional procurement, to meet emergency food 
        needs arising from manmade and natural disasters.
            ``(2) Designation.--Funds made available under this 
        subsection shall be known as the `International Disaster 
        Assistance - Emergency Food Security Program'.''.
            (2) Section 492 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 
        U.S.C. 2292a) is amended--
                    (A) in subsection (a), by striking ``$25,000,000 
                for the fiscal year 1986 and $25,000,000 for the fiscal 
                year 1987.'' and inserting ``$2,794,184,000 for each of 
                fiscal years 2017 and 2018, of which up to 
                $1,257,382,000 should be made available to carry out 
                section 491(c).''; and
                    (B) by inserting after subsection (b) the following 
                new subsections:
    ``(c) Amounts in Addition to Other Amounts.--Amounts authorized to 
be appropriated pursuant to the authorizations of appropriations under 
section 491(c) are in addition to funds otherwise available for such 
purposes.
    ``(d) Flexibility.--
            ``(1) United states policy.--It is the policy of the United 
        States that the funds made available to carry out section 491 
        are intended to provide the President with the greatest 
        possible flexibility to address disaster-related needs as they 
        arise and to prepare for and reduce the impact of natural and 
        man-made disasters.
            ``(2) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that 
        any amendments to applicable legal provisions contained in this 
        Act are not intended to limit such authorities.
    ``(e) Report.--Not later than March 1 of each fiscal year, the 
President shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Relations and the 
Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign 
Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of 
Representatives a report that describes the activities undertaken by 
the President over the course of the prior fiscal year pursuant to 
section 491(c), including the amounts of assistance provided, intended 
beneficiaries, monitoring and evaluation strategies, anticipated 
outcomes, and, as practicable, actual outcomes.''.

SEC. 8. REPORT.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
submission of the strategy required under section 5(c), the President 
shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report that 
describes the status of the implementation of the Global Food Security 
Strategy.
    (b) Content.--The report required under subsection (a) shall--
            (1) contain a summary of the Global Food Security Strategy 
        as an appendix;
            (2) identify any substantial changes made in the Global 
        Food Security Strategy during the preceding calendar year;
            (3) describe the progress made in implementing the Global 
        Food Security Strategy;
            (4) identify the indicators used to establish benchmarks 
        and measure results over time, as well as the mechanisms for 
        reporting such results in an open and transparent manner;
            (5) describe related strategies and benchmarks for 
        graduating target countries and communities from assistance 
        provided under the Global Food Security Strategy over time, 
        including by building resilience, reducing risk, and enhancing 
        the sustainability of outcomes from United States investments 
        in agriculture and nutrition security;
            (6) indicate how findings from monitoring and evaluation 
        were incorporated into program design and budget decisions;
            (7) contain a transparent, open, and detailed accounting of 
        spending by relevant Federal departments and agencies to 
        implement the Global Food Security Strategy, including, for 
        each Federal department and agency, the statutory source of 
        spending, amounts spent, implementing partners and targeted 
        beneficiaries, and activities supported to the extent 
        practicable and appropriate;
            (8) describe how the Global Food Security Strategy 
        leverages other United States food security and development 
        assistance programs on the continuum from emergency food aid 
        through sustainable, agriculture-led economic growth and 
        eventual self-sufficiency;
            (9) describe the contributions of the Global Food Security 
        Strategy to, and assess the impact of, broader international 
        food and nutrition security assistance programs, including 
        progress in the promotion of land tenure rights, creating 
        economic opportunities for women and small-scale producers, and 
        stimulating agriculture-led economic growth in target countries 
        and communities;
            (10) assess efforts to coordinate United States 
        international food security and nutrition programs, activities, 
        and initiatives with key stakeholders;
            (11) assess United States Government-facilitated private 
        investment in related sectors and the impact of private sector 
        investment in target countries and communities;
            (12) identify any United States legal or regulatory 
        impediments that could obstruct the effective implementation of 
        the programming referred to in paragraphs (8) and (9);
            (13) contain a clear gender analysis of programming, to 
        inform project-level activities, that includes established 
        disaggregated gender indicators to better analyze outcomes for 
        food productivity, income growth, control of assets, equity in 
        access to inputs, jobs and markets, and nutrition; and
            (14) incorporate a plan for regularly reviewing and 
        updating strategies, partnerships, and programs and sharing 
        lessons learned with a wide range of stakeholders in an open, 
        transparent manner.
    (c) Public Availability of Information.--The information referred 
to in subsection (b) shall be made available on the public website of 
the United States Agency for International Development in an open, 
machine readable format, in a timely manner.

SEC. 9. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.

    (a) Effect on Food and Nutrition Security and Emergency and 
Nonemergency Food Assistance Programs.--Nothing in the Global Food 
Security Strategy or this Act or the amendments made by this Act shall 
be construed to supersede or otherwise affect the authority of the 
relevant Federal departments and agencies to carry out food and 
nutrition security and emergency and nonemergency food assistance 
programs specified in subparagraph (b), in the manner provided, and 
subject to the terms and conditions, of those programs.
    (b) Programs Described.--The food and nutrition security and 
emergency and nonemergency food assistance programs referred to in 
subsection (a) are the following:
            (1) The Food for Peace Act (7 U.S.C. 1691 et seq.).
            (2) The Food for Progress Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 1736o).
            (3) Section 416(b) of the Agriculture Act of 1949 (7 U.S.C. 
        1431).
            (4) McGovern-Dole Food for Education Program (7 
        U.S.C.1736o-1).
            (5) Local and Regional Procurement Program (7 U.S.C. 
        1726c).
            (6) Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust Act (7 U.S.C. 1736f-1) 
        .
                                                       Calendar No. 393

114th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                                S. 1252

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

   To authorize a comprehensive strategic approach for United States 
foreign assistance to developing countries to reduce global poverty and 
    hunger, achieve food and nutrition security, promote inclusive, 
  sustainable, agricultural-led economic growth, improve nutritional 
  outcomes, especially for women and children, build resilience among 
            vulnerable populations, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                             March 15, 2016

                       Reported with an amendment