Posted by DipNote Bloggers on Nov 20, 2009 - 06:40 PM
From November 16 to 18, more than 150 nations came together in Rome, where delegations endorsed a declaration that serves as a dramatic shift in the way in which we, as a global community, address the challenge of ensuring food security. The nations that signed the declaration pledged to put developing countries in the lead in terms of planning and implementing national food security strategies, with donors playing a supporting and complementary role.
The U.S. delegation, led by Alonzo Fulgham, Acting Administrator for the US Agency for International Development and Vice-Chair of the Summit, advocated vigorously for a Summit declaration that not only acknowledged the critical problem of hunger and food insecurity, but also articulated solutions rooted in a focus on country-led programs and strategies. We underscored the need for a significant change in approach to the challenge of food security and were pleased when this was embraced by our colleagues from around the world.