Feeding the Future
Photo courtesy of U.S. Agency for International Development
I was taught from a young age to love land and people. As a child in 4-H, I pledged to use my head, heart, hands, and health in service to my club, community, country, and world. As a Future Farmers of America (FFA) member, I found in the FFA creed a belief in the future of agriculture. Throughout my childhood, I was supported by my hometown businesses, churches, and individuals who taught me to give back to others, to believe in agriculture and service, and to be a leader.
These values led me to my work in international development and U.S. foreign assistance, first as a Peace Corps volunteer and staff member, and later as a USAID Foreign Service officer focused on humanitarian assistance, agricultural development, and resilience building. For the past 14 years, I represented my country in some of the most remote areas of the world. As part of the U.S. government’s Feed the Future initiative, I have carried the values instilled in me by my small community in northeastern Kentucky, working hand in hand with other proud Americans.
Launched in 2011 and codified into law by the Global Food Security Act in 2016, Feed the Future invested in food security and agricultural development in developing countries. Through this initiative, America worked to break the cycle of poverty and hunger by improving food systems, nutrition, and livelihoods. In just its first 10 years, Feed the Future lifted 23.4 million people out of poverty, prevented 3.4 million children from stunting, and reduced hunger in 5.2 million families.
Though most of the initiative’s results have been erased from today’s internet, our work made a difference to the individuals in the countries where I have lived and worked. We provided food assistance—sorghum and split peas grown by American farmers—during times of drought and war. We taught good agricultural practices and introduced drought-tolerant seeds, small-scale irrigation, and agribusiness principles to help poor farmers harvest enough to feed their families. We injected extra capital into village savings and lending groups so that women could borrow money to start small businesses. We constructed dip tanks and provided veterinary training for extension workers, reducing animal diseases.
I have represented the United States in multiple countries, in meetings where my voice—the voice of the American people—is respected, where we set the priorities. In support of those priorities, we helped to open markets for U.S. businesses and offered families a path to economic success, reducing their chances of being recruited into violent extremist organizations. We supported youth seeking opportunities in agriculture, helping them build lives at home instead of turning to migration.
Agriculture can be a path out of poverty, and I am proud to have supported my country in making this happen. For decades, the U.S. led the global fight to eradicate world hunger. From the Marshall Plan that helped rebuild Europe after World War II to the Feed the Future initiative that appears to be canceled by this administration, we have provided support and guidance to those in need, sharing our knowledge and excellence across the globe.
I remain hopeful that there is a future where we continue these efforts—serving our world, believing in agriculture, and maintaining our status as the leader of the free world.
—Anonymous FS member