In a 40-page report, Oxfam America suggests several steps to improve Feed the Future, an Obama administration initiative that uses public-private partnerships to boost local food production in targeted countries. The program has made “substantial, real and important improvements” in U.S. food security efforts, but “the ambitious agenda embraced by U.S. AID remains a work in progress.”
Based on case studies in six of the 19 Feed the Future countries, Oxfam said projects tend to help farmers who already have the resources to take advantage of new market opportunities, leaving out the poorest and risk-averse smallholders. “Too often, lack of access to credit was cited as a key constraint to participation,” says the report. “Gaps still remain in ensuring women are full and equal participants,” and there is a need to engage local groups in the design and implementation of projects, a key for long-term success.
Projects to improve farm productivity emphasize “input-intensive approaches that increase the use of synthetic pesticides and mineral fertilizers. Given the credit and other constraints farmers face, agroecological approaches may be more practicable for very poor households and deserve greater attention,” said the report.
“The is more about fine-tuning” than an overhaul, said Ray Offenheiser, president of Oxfam America. The State Department says Feed the Future has helped 7 million farmers increase crop production since 2010, and has provided food to 12.5 million children. There have been proposals in Congress to permanently authorize Feed the Future.
The Oxfam report, “Promise and Potential,” is available here. The homepage for Feed the Future is available here.