Global Food Security Reauthorization Act Fights World Hunger

by Marissa Sheldon, MPH
Reauthorization Act

Part of the Food Policy Snapshot Series

Policy name: Global Food Security Reauthorization Act of 2022

Overview: The US Congress has passed the Global Food Security Reauthorization Act of 2022 (HR 8446) to continue using a whole-of-government approach to promoting global food security, resilience, and nutrition

Location: United States/Worldwide

Population: N/A

Food policy category: Food security

Program goals: To improve food security and nutrition worldwide.

How it works: Under the original GFSA of 2016, Feed the Future – the US government’s global food security initiative that began in 2010 – was formally authorized, and a Global Food Security Strategy was created. HR 8446 allows these initiatives, as well as the Emergency Food Security Program, to continue through 2028 while also modifying the original GFSA by emphasizing the need to improve efficiency and resiliency in agriculture.  

In addition, the act increases the spending allotment for global food security programs by $99 million and authorizes $3.9 billion per year in appropriations from 2024 through 2028.

Progress to date: The Global Food Security Act was passed in 2016 as part of the National Defense Authorization Act and was first reauthorized in 2018. The reauthorization act of 2022 was passed in Congress in December 2022 and is awaiting President Biden’s signature to become law. 

Why it is important: In 2021, 828 million people worldwide were affected by hunger, an increase of 46 million from 2020, and 2.3 billion were moderately or severely food insecure. The 2022 issue of The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) estimates that 670 million people will still be experiencing hunger in 2030. 

Global crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war have exacerbated food shortages and food insecurity around the world. These issues have highlighted the need for multi-level government strategies to combat food security problems and to increase agricultural sustainability and resiliency on a global scale. 

Program/Policy initiated: The act was passed by Congress in December 2022. At the time of this writing, it has not yet been passed into law by President Biden. 

Point of contact: N/A

Similar practices: The first GFSA was reauthorized in 2018

Evaluation: An official evaluation of the 2022 reauthorization has not yet been conducted, but its passing in Congress has been met with support from US government officials in both parties, as well as international humanitarian relief organizations such as CARE, Bread for the World, Catholic Relief Services, the Borgen Project, and the Alliance to End Hunger

Since 2011, accomplishments of Feed the Future, one of the main components of the GFSA, include:

  • Helping farmers reach more than $17.9 billion in agricultural sales
  • Relieving hunger for approximately 5.2 million families
  • Lifting 23.4 million people above the poverty line.

Learn more:

References:

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