§ 9302 — Statement Of Policy Objectives; Sense Of Congress

(a) It is in the national interest of the United States to promote global food security, resilience, and nutrition, consistent with national food security investment plans, which is reinforced through comprehensive, multi-sectoral programs, activities, and initiatives that consider agriculture and food systems in their totality and that— (1) place food insecure countries on a path toward self-sufficiency, economic freedom, and security through the phasing, sequencing, and 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 and artisanal fishing communities, especially women in these communities, by working across terrestrial and aquatic food systems and agricultural value chains, including by— (A) enhancing local capacity to manage agricultural resources and food systems effectively and expanding producer access to, and participation in, local, regional, and international markets; (B) increasing the availability and affordability of high quality nutritious and safe foods and clean water; (C) creating entrepreneurship opportunities and improving access to business development related to agriculture and food systems, including among youth populations, linked to local, regional, and international markets; and (D) enabling partnerships to facilitate the development of and investment in new agricultural technologies to support more resilient and productive agricultural practices; (4) build resilience to agriculture and food systems shocks and stresses, including global food catastrophes in which conventional methods of agriculture are unable to provide sufficient food and nutrition to sustain the global population, among vulnerable populations and households through inclusive growth, while reducing reliance upon emergency food and economic 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, adolescent girls, and children, with a focus on reducing child stunting and incidence of wasting, including through the promotion of highly nutritious foods, diet diversification, large-scale food fortification, and nutritional behaviors that improve maternal and child health and nutrition, especially during the first 1,000-day window until a child reaches 2 years of age; (7) including deworming, 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) 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.