[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 41 (Friday, March 19, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E417]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      SUPPORT THE GOALS AND IDEALS OF GLOBAL CHILD NUTRITION MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JO ANN EMERSON

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, March 19, 2010

  Mrs. EMERSON. Madam Speaker, today, along with my good friend 
Congressman Jim McGovern, I introduced a resolution of support for the 
goals and ideals of Global Child Nutrition Month. The fact that hunger 
and malnutrition is experienced by any person is a sad reflection on 
our society. However, it is even more troubling to know that roughly 
300,000,000 children are experiencing hunger around the world. There is 
no greater investment in our security and global economic development 
then ensuring hungry children have access to nutritious food. A hungry 
child, suffering from malnutrition, will not reach their full physical 
or mental potential. A hungry child rarely attends school, leaving 
another, larger generation of hungry and uneducated men to be recruited 
into radical militant groups and uneducated women to be oppressed.
   We have the tools today to fight hunger and malnutrition in the 
world's youngest and most vulnerable. The McGovern-Dole International 
Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program has proven to be a very 
effective tool for providing hungry children nutritious food. The 
program has the added benefit of encouraging parents to send their 
children to school, and not to rely on them for income or food. I also 
believe the political will to make the fight successful is increasing. 
Although we have a long way to go, President Obama's Administration is 
making visible efforts to add resources to fighting global hunger. Two 
examples include the increased budget for the McGovern-Dole 
International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program and the 
leadership being displayed by the Administration's Global Hunger and 
Food Security Initiative. Internationally the attention to global food 
security has rarely been more focused; and hopefully, the resources 
will soon follow the pledges.
   This April, many of our non-governmental organization partners will 
recognize Global Child Nutrition Month and the hunger facing children 
around the globe. I would like to particularly thank the Global Child 
Nutrition Foundation and School Nutrition Association for their work in 
increasing awareness of the problem global hunger presents and for 
raising funds to help feed hungry children. These two organizations 
partner with school nutrition professionals around the country and 
encourage them to take a day, week or even longer to work with students 
and teachers educating them and raising donations. It is grassroots 
education and fundraising at its best.
   Ensuring every child around the world has access to sufficient 
nutrition is a challenge that will not be easily met, but it will be 
met. With dedicated partners both in and out of government, we will 
achieve this goal quicker, which is why I am happy to introduce this 
resolution supporting the goals and ideals of Global Child Nutrition 
Month.

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