26 May 2011

At a symposium on food security and world agriculture organized by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, business and government leaders had the chance to debate the methods by which American public and private sector organizations could promote agricultural development, stability, global security and economic prosperity.

During the Symposium on Global Agriculture and Food Security, Bill Gates, co-president of the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation, contended that it was crucial to encourage family farming. He said “helping poor farm families increase their yields and market them is the most effective means of reducing poverty and hunger in the world. I came here today to join those calling on the U.S. and other countries to fund agricultural development for poor farming families.”

After giving examples of progress already happening in Africa and South Asia, Gates said, “We have a big budget deficit, and foreign assistance is always an easy target. So we need to tell people over and over why this spending is worth it — even in tight economic times.”

The former Microsoft boss went on to thank American officials for their commitment at G8 and G20 meetings in 2009, and for contributing to the $22 billion raised to increase food security, despite the fact that half of the promised aid has yet to materialize. He also saluted President Obama and the American Congress’ $3.5 billion contribution to the ‘Feed the Future’ program and Congress’ decision to include $100 million in the new budget for the 'Global Agriculture and Food Security Programme'.

Finally Gates, who was joined by U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator Rajiv Shah, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and World Food Program Executive Director Josette Sheeran among others, hailed the decision by France to make food security and agriculture its top priority in the agenda of meetings of G20 this year, over which the country is presiding.

***