Right now in this world of plenty, 50 million people in 45 countries are facing extreme hunger. Conflict, Covid-19, and climate change were driving up hunger in parts of Africa and the Middle East before the conflict in Ukraine began. Now, without Ukraine's agricultural exports, the hunger crisis has gone from bad to worse. Stronger food systems could have prevented this crisis. Congress must act quickly to end this tragedy and prevent future crises by investing in global food security.
Though Congress has made a promising start by approving emergency global hunger funding, Congress should now take the next step by expanding and reauthorizing the Global Food Security Act. This program works to empower farmers in low-income countries to adapt to climate change, provide greater opportunities to women producers, prepare for market disruptions, and boost productivity. Limited to just twelve target countries last year, an expansion will allow more farmers to be ready for the next drought, flood, or distant conflict.
We can’t wait for crises to get this bad before we act - which is why we must tackle the hunger crisis now and invest in long-term solutions to prevent it from worsening in years to come.
Sign your name to tell Congress urgent action is needed now to save lives - it’s time to invest in a more food-secure world by reauthorizing the Global Food Security Act at $2 billion a year.