Adesina, Others Urge Biden to Lead Efforts to End Global Hunger

James Emejo and Folalumi Alaran in Abuja

The President of African Development Bank Group and winner of the 2017 World Food Prize, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, has urged the United States President Joe Biden to use appropriate policy measures to end global hunger.
The AfDB president joined other World Food Prize laureates to call for action on food security in the world.

The World Food Prize was created by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Norman Borlaug in 1986 to recognise scientists and others who have improved the quality and availability of food.
The $250,000 prize is awarded annually by the Des Moines, Iowa-based World Food Prize Foundation, which gets support from more than 80 companies, foundations and individuals.
Adesina said: “For millions of poor people around the world, the risk of dying from hunger is greater than dying from COVID-19. Without food, medicines don’t work. Food and nutrition are the vaccines against hunger. Let’s vaccinate the world against hunger.”

In a letter to the US president, a group of 24 scientists, economists, researchers and other past winners of the World Food Prize, including Adesina, had described America’s role in tackling the scourge of global hunger as foundational, urging Biden to re-establish America’s global leadership to end hunger, play a leadership role in the upcoming UN Food Systems Summit and other global initiatives, refresh US evidenced-based policy and investment to achieve the goal of ending hunger and expand the highly successful USAID Feed the Future Initiative and Innovation Laboratories to reach more countries.

The campaigners said: “As the world staggers out of COVID and into the light of 2021, we seek to illuminate our collective path towards 2030, we urge the Biden-Harris Administration to focus on the promise to Build Back Better in transforming our food systems.

“The United States leadership in ending global hunger is imperative and must be backed by bold actions and your personal commitment for the U.S. to engage on major global initiatives. Nothing is more important than ending global hunger and malnutrition.”
According to the letter: “The opportunity for renewed U.S. leadership to transform food systems has never been greater. The appetite of partners around the world to work with the US in both the public and private sectors is strong.

“We urge the Biden-Harris Administration to seize this moment and invest in development and cooperation to achieve zero hunger by 2030. American leadership on getting food systems right will inspire and embolden others to join forces to end hunger, counter climate change, generate jobs, and promote responsible stewardship of the environment.

“Evidence suggests that increased investment in food security is in the U.S.’s interest. Supporting economic growth globally leads to increased trade for American entities, increases stability in conflict areas, builds bonds of solidarity and trust that are the bedrock of diplomacy, and alleviates the suffering of the most vulnerable.
“These outcomes reflect long-held, treasured American values and offer opportunities to realise global aspirations.”

In 2009, post-financial crisis and as a result of the L’Aquila Declaration, the US announced the $3.5 billion Feed the Future Initiative with bipartisan support, helping to reverse decades-long declines in funding for food and agriculture around the world. This American investment prompted collective global investments of $22 billion and triggered progress for hundreds of millions.

According to the recent Ceres2030 report, the world could end global hunger by 2030 with an extra annual investment of $33 billion, a small fraction of the world’s COVID mitigation investment.