Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Cochairs
Senator Robert P. Casey (D-PA)
Senator Richard G. Lugar (R-IN)
Project Directors
J. Stephen Morrison
Johanna Nesseth Tuttle
july 2008
Cochairs
Senator Robert P. Casey (D-PA)
Senator Richard G. Lugar (R-IN)
Project Directors
J. Stephen Morrison
Johanna Nesseth Tuttle
july 2008
© 2008 by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. All rights reserved.
In May 2008, in response to the growing global CSIS hosted a dinner at which Ms. Sheeran
food crisis, the Center for Strategic and Inter- engaged with representatives from the Senate
national Studies (CSIS) launched a task force Appropriations Committee, the U.S. Depart-
to assess the rising humanitarian, security, ment of State, the U.S. Agency for Interna-
developmental, and market impacts of rising tional Development, the U.S. Department
food costs and shortages. Its cochairs, Senators of Agriculture, CARE, the Center for Global
Richard G. Lugar (R-IN) and Robert P. Casey Development, the International Food Policy
(D-PA) charged the task force with identify- Research Institute, the Gates Foundation, and
ing, by late July 2008, a feasible but bold plan the military. Sentiment at that session was
of action that the Bush administration, the strongly in favor of CSIS launching the task
presidential campaigns, Congress, and the next force in order to better clarify for a Washing-
administration could embrace on a bipartisan ton audience the gravity of the threat present-
basis. The result, outlined in the following ed by the global food crisis, the major factors
report, is an argument for modernizing and driving it, and a way forward. Subsequently,
doubling emergency assistance, elevating rural we were fortunate to receive, on a rapid basis,
development and agricultural productivity to support for the task force from the Connect
be new foreign policy priorities, revising the U.S. Fund and special thanks are reserved for
U.S. approach to biofuels so that fuel and food executive director Eric Schwartz.
security objectives are effectively de-conflicted,
acting on an urgent basis to conclude the Doha The task force is especially grateful to Sena-
Development Round, and creating a strategic tors Lugar and Casey, both champions of
U.S. approach to global food security that inter- development, agriculture, health and nutri-
links approaches to relief, development, energy, tion, foreign affairs, and energy policy, and
and trade and that is backed by new robust both highly supportive of the CSIS effort. Jofi
organizational capacities. Joseph in Senator Casey’s office and Connie
Veillette in the office of Senator Lugar were
The task force grew out of extensive prior each also very helpful in guiding our efforts.
work CSIS carried out with the UN World The task force was led by J. Stephen Morrison
Food Program on global food relief issues, and Johanna Nesseth Tuttle of CSIS and com-
particularly with respect to Afghanistan, prised a diverse group of senior-level repre-
Sudan, Myanmar, Zimbabwe, and Somalia. In sentatives of nongovernmental organizations,
April 2008, Josette Sheeran, executive director food relief experts, and former government
of the World Food Program, delivered a major officials who generously gave their time and
policy address at CSIS on the rising global energy. Jeralyn Eddings, independent consul-
food crisis. The evening prior to the address, tant, provided extensive drafting and editorial
The global food crisis is hitting with alarming ■■ A developmental threat, which is erasing
speed and force, challenging the United States, the economic gains of the past decades,
other nations, and key international organiza- while putting at risk the recent historic
tions to respond with a strategic and long- investments in public health and nutrition,
term approach. improved education, and community devel-
opment in poor countries. Without effective
The crisis is historic and a call to conscience. It action to reverse these trends, developing
is global in reach, not confined to a particular countries could see a disabled generation,
region of the world, or caused by a single disas- stunted both physically and mentally and
ter or event. It is a moment of great opportuni- chronically in need of assistance.
ty. It presents the chance for American leaders, ■■ A strategic threat, which is endangering
joined with others, to place hunger, poverty, the stability of developing countries due to
and rural development at center stage and to rising cereal prices combined with rapidly
upgrade dramatically the United States’ and rising fuel prices. The surge in prices has re-
others’ approaches to food relief, energy, global duced the purchasing power of poor people
trade, and foreign assistance. It presents the and inhibited the ability of poor countries
chance for accelerated growth of rural produc- to import food for their hard-pressed popu-
tion and wealth in the developing world. lations. Thirty countries have experienced
food-related riots and unrest in 2008, half
The crisis poses three fundamental threats. in Africa. Acutely at risk are large, heavily
urbanized nations such as Egypt, Pakistan,
■■ A moral and humanitarian threat, which Ethiopia, and Afghanistan. The forecast for
is pushing an additional 100 million people the next several years is that a wide range of
into poverty and deepening global hunger developing countries will struggle to access
and chronic malnutrition, with the grav- affordable, adequate food supplies, with
est impact among poor pregnant women uncertain consequences.
and children. Efforts of the UN World
Food Program (WFP) to meet immedi-
ate emergency shortfalls have risen from
$3.1 billion in 2007 to almost $6 billion in
2008. Such radically elevated emergency
demands will persist into the future.
The root causes of the global food crisis are tinues, the structural shift in global cereal
complex, fluid, persistent, and multidimen- demands will intensify.
sional. This is not a simple problem.
■■ Bad weather, linked possibly to global
■■ Soaring global energy prices contribute to climate change, has hampered production
cost increases in agricultural production in key food-exporting countries. Severe
and transportation, impacting all points weather events have impacted harvests
across the farm-to-market chain. from Australia to West Africa to Bangla-
desh and are now striking at America’s
■■ The rise in the production of biofuels heartland. Although we know that climate
based on food grains has contributed to change is a factor, we know less about how
global food price increases since 2006, it will shape specific global food outcomes
though estimates vary widely over the im- in the near to medium term and what spe-
pact, ranging from 3 percent to 65 percent. cific ameliorative steps to take today.
High oil-price trends drive the demand
for biofuels, while preferential tariffs, ■■ A gross underinvestment in the past
subsidies, and mandates contribute to the several decades in agricultural production
rise of American and European producer and technology in the developing world—
preferences for biofuel crops. This is a by donors and developing countries
global phenomenon, affecting markets alike—has contributed to static produc-
for wheat, maize, sugar, oil seeds, cassava, tivity, weak markets, and underdeveloped
palm oil, and beyond. The shared dilemma rural infrastructure. The question now
for Europe and the United States is how is how to correct systematically for this
to respond responsibly and effectively to historic underinvestment.
intensifying pressures to promote food and
fuel security simultaneously. ■■ The present global agricultural production
and trading system, built on subsidies and
■■ Demand for cereal grains has outstripped tariffs, creates grave distortions. It struc-
supply over the past several years, gen- turally favors production among wealthy
erating a global imbalance and a decline countries and disadvantages producers in
in surpluses. Rising demand from China poor developing countries. Imperiled devel-
and India—resulting from their growing oping countries are today responding to the
middle classes—has increased the strain on current crisis by restricting or banning food
global supplies. China has almost doubled exports. Until macro incentives are reor-
its consumption of meat, fish, and dairy dered to open the way for investment and
products since 1990 as over 200 million production in developing countries’ rural
people have been lifted out of poverty. So sectors, no durable solution is in sight.
long as the rise of China and India con-
The CSIS Task Force recommends: will be set aside for U.S.-origin food
shipped on U.S. carriers.
1. Modernize emergency assistance.
■■ Pursue a robust multilateral approach: re-
■■ Increase the scale of U.S. commitment constitute the Food Aid Convention to bet-
and significantly improve the speed, agil- ter reflect current tonnage and nutritional
ity, liquidity, and flexibility of the U.S. needs and reinvigorate donor commit-
response. In the face of this massive crisis, ments; renew regular international consul-
the United States should concentrate on tations on emergency food relief response;
devising the means to deliver assistance actively test the feasibility of emergency
to larger numbers of people earlier, more regional food stocks and the capacity for
reliably, and at a much lower cost per rapid regional purchases (“virtual stocks”).
beneficiary and with much higher nutri-
■■ Intensify U.S. food security diplomacy:
ent benefits. The United States should
encourage major oil-producing countries
also give priority to the development
to contribute more to food relief; press for
of improved national policies and local
more stable and predictable international
emergency response capacities within at-
financing mechanisms for supporting the
risk countries.
WFP and its implementing partners.
■■ Double the U.S. level of annual commit-
■■ Enlarge, bilaterally and multilaterally,
ment to emergency food relief from $1.6
emergency social safety net programs such
billion to $3.2 billion. It will be essential
as budget support, school feeding, and
also to monitor volatile global market
food for work. Pursue innovative financial
conditions closely to ascertain whether this
and risk management tools such as vouch-
increased level of U.S. assistance is ad-
ers and insurance schemes. Expand nu-
equate to deliver the intended tonnage and
tritional assistance programs to pregnant
nutrient content.
women and children.
■■ Require that no less than 25 percent and
as much as 50 percent of these expanded
emergency funds be available for local 2. Make rural development and agricul-
and regional purchases. The targets for tural productivity U.S. foreign policy
local and regional purchases should be priorities.
raised over a five-year period, so that ulti- ■■ Elevate agriculture to be a top priority of
mately at least 50 percent and as much as the U.S. foreign assistance strategy. Set
75 percent of emergency funds is available an official target to significantly increase
for local and regional purchases. Under productivity in the developing world in
this scheme, no less than 25 percent of the next decade and to significantly reduce
U.S. emergency assistance ($0.8 billion) hunger, poverty, and malnutrition.
■■ Pursue targeted international and regional ■■ Authorize and fund the U.S. Africa, South-
trade discussions that can bring rapid ern, and Pacific Commands to initiate
follow-on benefits to developing country civil-military dialogues and exchanges on
agriculture. Examine how existing U.S. nutrition and food security, including infor-
trade preferences, already in place for many mation sharing and analysis.
developing countries, might be used to re-
duce technical barriers to developing coun- the challenge
try agricultural exports to the United States
and build trade capacity in those countries. The current crisis is unlike any food emergen-
cy the world has faced in the past. It is caused
■■ Take deliberate bilateral and multilateral
by a web of interconnected forces involving
diplomatic action to ease export bans and
restrictions that have contributed to higher agriculture, energy, climate change, trade, and
food prices, including strengthening World new market demands from emerging markets.
Trade Organization (WTO) rules on export And it carries grave implications for economic
restrictions. The World Bank says that 26 growth and development, international secu-
net-food-exporting countries have main- rity, and social progress in developing coun-
tained or introduced such measures, mak- tries. Time is of the essence in formulating a
ing it hard to acquire and ship food to the response, and U.S. leadership and bipartisan-
most needy even when funds are available. ship are essential, as well as expanded U.S.
coordination with international organizations.
5. Strengthen U.S. organizational capacities. The Bush administration, the presidential
campaigns, the congressional leadership, and
■■ Create a White House–led standing
interagency mechanism on global food the next administration all have a responsibil-
security. Charge that body with rapidly ity to move U.S. leadership forward.
devising and overseeing a comprehensive,
long-term strategic vision on global food
insecurity that interlinks U.S. approaches
to food, energy, development, and trade;
that better coordinates with partner coun-
tries and with the World Bank, the World
Food Program, and other UN organiza-
tions; and that prioritizes building agri-