WORLD FOOD DAY: THE U.S. COMMITMENT TO REDUCING WORLD HUNGER
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) celebrates World Food Day each year
on October 16, the day on which the Organization was founded in 1945. This year's celebration coincided
with the 60th anniversary of the FAO. The United States congratulates and thanks FAO for its
contribution to world food security.
President Bush views the alleviation of hunger and poverty throughout the world as a moral
imperative. On this World Food Day, the United States reaffirmed its continuing commitment to the World
Food Summit and the Millennium Development Goals.
The American people have long been providing generous humanitarian assistance. More than 850 million
people around the world remain hungry. In the United States, 450 national private voluntary
organizations sponsor World Food Day, reflecting the broad concern and generosity of the American people
in alleviating global hunger. More than 60 percent of emergency international food aid comes as a gift
from the people of the United States. In FY 2004, the U.S. provided $2.16 billion worth of food aid.
Most recently, in June of this year, President Bush announced $674 million of additional resources to
respond to humanitarian emergencies in Africa. Yet our greatest challenge is not simply to treat the
results of hunger, but to address its causes, and that is why we are working hard to develop more
durable approaches to chronic hunger and rural poverty.
The United States is a leader in addressing the causes of hunger, as well as this year's theme for
World Food Day, "Agriculture and Intercultural Dialogue." The U.S. Agency for International
Development (USAID) continues to put a high priority on helping developing countries increase their
agricultural productivity and stimulate economic growth in rural areas. We are the largest contributor
to the multilateral lending banks, and encourage them to focus on agricultural growth in areas where
hunger is greatest.
The elimination of trade barriers could lift hundreds of millions of people out of poverty over the
next 15 years, so we must bring the Doha trade talks to a successful conclusion. The United States is
ready to eliminate all tariffs, subsidies and other barriers to free flow of goods and services as other
nations do the same.
As we have marked the occasion of World Food Day, and as we renew our commitment to feeding the
hungry, let us also reaffirm our determination to find the lasting answers that go hand in hand with
peace, democracy, opportunity, and education.
