ONE Applauds President Obama’s Bold Plans on Agriculture and Food Security; Nutrition Focus Now Vital at British G8 and AU Summit in Malawi
Michael Elliott, President and CEO of ONE, issued the following statement on President Obama's announcement of the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition in advance of the G8 Summit at Camp David:
"At the Chicago Council’s Symposium today, President Obama announced that the G8 will make a bold commitment to food security that tackles the root causes of hunger and extreme poverty. We thank President Obama for his leadership on agriculture and his plan to increase U.S. funding for food security going forward.
“By creating a new global framework for agriculture centered on investment in smart, country-owned plans, we are on the right course. But in order to achieve the goal of lifting 50 million people out of poverty over the next 10 years we must rally behind all 30 country-devised plans.
“It is particularly important that the G8 tomorrow endorse President Obama’s commitment to sustain the L’Aquila promises on funding and policy coordination. It is vital, too, that action on agriculture is matched by a determination to stop the devastating impacts of chronic malnutrition on children’s development. That’s why ONE and our 3 million members will now turn our focus to the African Union, which meets in Malawi this July, and British Prime Minister David Cameron, who will host the G8 Summit next year, to build on the platform created at Camp David. This is how we will break the cycle of hunger and extreme poverty for good.”
Excerpted Remarks From Bono, Cofounder of ONE and (RED)
at the Symposium on Global Agriculture and Food Security
Washington, DC
Friday, May 18
Leading up to the G8 Summit, Bono, the cofounder of ONE and (RED), attended the Chicago Council’s 3rdAnnual Symposium on Global Agriculture and Food Security on May 18th.The high-level event included remarks from President Barack Obama, AU President Yayi Boni of Benin, Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, among many other global leaders who addressed G8 efforts on food security and the benefits of private sector investment in agriculture in Africa. The following remarks were excerpted from Bono’s remarks at the event:
“As we approach 9 billion, resource scarcity will be a recurring theme and risk factor. These agendas—of food, land, water, timber, fisheries, energy, renewable and otherwise—these are actually the same agenda. And that’s the key thing I want to leave you with this morning.
“What President Obama has announced today… is a sign of what the G8 and G20 in six weeks’ time can achieve. This can be a one-two punch on a resource agenda to make this a very memorable year.”
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ONE is a global advocacy and campaigning organization backed by more than 3 million people. We fight extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa, by raising public awareness and pressing political leaders to support smart, effective policies and programs that are saving lives, helping to put kids in school and improving futures. For more information please visit www.ONE.org.
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Lisa Gibby
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