[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 110 (Friday, July 8, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1069-E1070]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY ACT OF 2016

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 5, 2016

  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 1252, the 
``Global Food Security Act of 2015,'' which requires the President to 
develop and implement a Global Food Security Strategy to reduce hunger 
and maintain global food security and nutrition.
  Even in an age of globalization and industrialization, hunger and 
food security remain fundamental impediments to global wellbeing.
  According to UN estimates, 795 people currently live undernourished 
lives, with 12.9 percent of the population of underdeveloped countries 
living without proper nutrition and 3.1 million children under the age 
of five dying of malnutrition every year.
  Moreover, with the world's natural resources and biodiversity rapidly 
degrading, global food security continues to be threatened, as one of 
the global economy's most crucial driving forces, agriculture, 
continues to suffer globally, and particularly in underdeveloped 
states.
   Even as the threats of hunger and food instability loom, the 
necessity of global food security remains, as solutions to global food 
issues also represent instrumental steps to poverty eradication and 
economic growth.
  In an age where food concerns plague underdeveloped nations and 
largely industrialized international powers alike, moreover, it is more 
important than ever to remain committed to proven food initiatives and 
measures of global food assistance.
  In particular, the Food Security Act specifies the importance of 
promoting activities and programs that strive to promote global food 
security, resilience, and nutrition.
  These measures include programs that:
  1. place food insecure countries on a path toward self-sufficiency by 
coordinating U.S. assistance programs;
  2. accelerate agricultural and economic growth in a manner that 
reduces global poverty, hunger, and malnutrition;
  3. increase the productivity and livelihoods of small-scale 
producers;

[[Page E1070]]

  4. build resilience to food shocks in vulnerable populations;
  5. create an environment for agricultural growth and investment;
  6. improve the nutritional status of women and children globally;
  7. align with existing U.S. strategies and investments to achieve 
these objectives;
  8. and strengthen relationships between U.S. and foreign universities 
that contribute to agricultural growth.
  In addition, this measure specifies that the President must 
coordinate a comprehensive government strategy to promote global food 
security by coordinating across federal departments and agencies to 
provide assistance under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to prevent 
or address food shortages.
  The President's annual report to Congress on the implementation of 
these specifications and measures will enable continued monitoring and 
evaluation of the success of these strategies.
  This measure is integral to restoring global food security, and 
represents a vital step in the global war against world hunger.
  I urge all Members to join me in voting to pass S. 1252.

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