H.R. 8446 — what changed

changed Section 2 of the Global Food Security Act of 2016 (22 U.S.C. 9301) is amended—amended by striking “Congress makes” and all that follows through “(3) A comprehensive” and inserting “Congress finds that a comprehensive”.

removed “(1) According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, as many as 828,000,000 people are facing hunger, an estimated 2.3 billion people are moderately or severely food insecure, and 10 percent of the global population is undernourished.

removed “(2) The World Bank estimates that as many as 95 million more people will experience extreme poverty and 40 million more people will experience acute food insecurity as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, conflict, and related economic shocks.

removed “(3) Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified full-scale invasion of Ukraine and blockade of Ukraine’s Black Sea ports has halted exports and resulted in global shortages of grain and other agricultural commodities and rising food and fuel prices.”

Section 3(a) of the Global Food Security Act of 2016 (22 U.S.C. 9302(a)) is amended—

removed “(3) increase the productivity, incomes, and livelihoods of small-scale producers, especially women, by working across the food system and agricultural value chains, including through—

removed “(A) enhancing local capacity to manage agricultural resources effectively and expanding producer access to local and international markets;

removed “(B) increasing the availability and affordability of high quality nutritious and safe foods, and sustainable clean water;

removed “(C) creating sustainable entrepreneurship opportunities related to agriculture and food systems, including among youth populations, linked to local, regional and international markets; and

removed “(D) enabling partnerships to facilitate the development of new agricultural technologies to support more resilient and productive agricultural practices;”

added “(3) increase the productivity, incomes, and livelihoods of small-scale producers and artisanal fishing communities, especially women in these communities, by working across terrestrial and aquatic food systems and agricultural value chains, including by—

added “(A) enhancing local capacity to manage agricultural resources and food systems effectively and expanding producer access to, and participation in, local, regional, and international markets;

added “(B) increasing the availability and affordability of high quality nutritious and safe foods and clean water;

added “(C) creating entrepreneurship opportunities and improving access to business development related to agriculture and food systems, including among youth populations, linked to local, regional, and international markets; and

added “(D) enabling partnerships to facilitate the development of and investment in new agricultural technologies to support more resilient and productive agricultural practices;

added “(4) build resilience to agriculture and food systems shocks and stresses, including global food catastrophes in which conventional methods of agriculture are unable to provide sufficient food and nutrition to sustain the global population, among vulnerable populations and households through inclusive growth, while reducing reliance upon emergency food and economic assistance;”

removed “(9) support increased engagement with women to increase women’s access to agricultural innovations, access to savings groups and other financing mechanisms, and ensure related agriculture, food, and water systems programs and policies informed by data and evidence; and”

Section 4 of the Global Food Security Act of 2016 (22 U.S.C. 9303) is amended—

added “(D) is a marker of an environment deficient in the various needs that allow for a child’s healthy growth, including nutrition; and

added “(E) is associated with long-term poor health, delayed motor development, impaired cognitive function, and decreased immunity.”

added “(4) Food system—The term “food system” means the intact or whole unit made up of interrelated components of people, behaviors, relationships, and material goods that interact in the production, processing, packaging, transporting, trade, marketing, consumption, and use of food, feed, and fiber through aquaculture, farming, wild fisheries, forestry, and pastoralism that operates within and is influenced by social, political, economic, and environmental contexts.”

added “(14) Wasting—The term “wasting” means—

added “(A) a life-threatening condition attributable to poor nutrient intake or disease that is characterized by a rapid deterioration in nutritional status over a short period of time; and

added “(B) in the case of children, is characterized by low weight for height and weakened immunity, increasing their risk of death due to greater frequency and severity of common infection, particularly when severe.”

removed “(13) Wasting—The term wasting—

removed “(A) means a life-threatening condition attributable to poor nutrient intake or disease that is characterized by a rapid deterioration in nutritional status over a short period of time; and

removed “(B) in the case of children, is characterized by being too thin for their height with weakened immunity, increasing their risk of death due to greater frequency and severity of common infection, particularly when severe.”

added “(5) support the locally-led and inclusive development of agriculture and food systems, including by enhancing the extent to which small-scale food producers, especially women, have access to and control over the inputs, skills, resource management capacity, networking, bargaining power, financing, market linkages, technology, and information needed to sustainably increase productivity and incomes, reduce poverty and malnutrition, and promote long-term economic prosperity;”

removed Section 5 of the Global Food Security Act of 2016 (22 U.S.C. 9304) is amended—

added “(10) develop community and producer resilience and adaptation strategies to disasters, emergencies, and other shocks and stresses to food and nutrition security, including conflicts, droughts, flooding, pests, and diseases, that adversely impact agricultural yield and livelihoods;

added “(11) harness science, technology, and innovation, including the research and extension activities supported by the private sector, relevant Federal Departments and agencies, Feed the Future Innovation Labs or any successor entities, and international and local researchers and innovators, recognizing that significant investments in research and technological advances will be necessary to reduce global poverty, hunger, and malnutrition;

added “(12) use evidenced-based best practices, including scientific and forecasting data, and improved planning and coordination by, with, and among key partners and relevant Federal Departments and agencies to identify, analyze, measure, and mitigate risks, and strengthen resilience capacities;

added “(13) ensure scientific and forecasting data is accessible and usable by affected communities and facilitate communication and collaboration among local stakeholders in support of adaptation planning and implementation, including scenario planning and preparedness using seasonal forecasting and scientific and local knowledge;”

added “(19) improve the efficiency and resilience of agricultural production, including management of crops, rangelands, pastures, livestock, fisheries, and aquacultures;

added “(20) ensure investments in food and nutrition security consider and integrate best practices in the management and governance of natural resources and conservation, especially among food insecure populations living in or near biodiverse ecosystems;

added “(21) be periodically updated in a manner that reflects learning and best practices; and”

added “(d) Periodic updates—Not less frequently than quinquennially through fiscal year 2030, the President, in consultation with the head of each relevant Federal department and agency, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees updates to the Global Food Security Strategy required under subsection (a) and the agency-specific plans described in subsection (c)(2).”

removed “(17) improve the efficiency and sustainability of agricultural production, including management of crops, rangelands, pastures, livestock, fisheries, and aquacultures;

removed “(18) ensure investments in food systems and food security consider and integrate the management and governance of natural resources and habitat conservation, especially among food insecure populations living in or near biodiverse ecosystems;

removed “(19) support agricultural research and development to improve agricultural productivity, resilience, and sustainability, including reducing plant pests and diseases, and development of new varieties and alternative crops for resilience and use of drought resistant seeds; and”

Section 6(b) of the Global Food Security Act of 2016 (22 U.S.C. 9305(b)) is amended—

added “(a) Statement of policy—It shall be”

Section 8 of the Global Food Security Act of 2016 (22 U.S.C. 9307) is amended—

added “(4) identify and describe the priority quantitative metrics used to establish baselines and performance targets at the initiative, country, and zone of influence levels;

added “(5) identify such established baselines and performance targets at the country, and zone of influence levels;

added “(6) identify the output and outcome benchmarks and indicators used to measure results annually, and report the annual measurement of results for each of the priority metrics identified pursuant to paragraph (4), disaggregated by age, gender, and disability, to the extent practicable and appropriate, in an open and transparent manner that is accessible to the American people;”

added “(14) describe how agriculture research is prioritized within the Global Food Security Strategy to support agriculture-led growth and eventual self-sufficiency and assess efforts to coordinate research programs within the Global Food Security Strategy with key stakeholders;”

added “(18) during the final year of each strategy required under section 5, complete country graduation reports to determine whether a country should remain a target country based on quantitative and qualitative analysis.”

removed “(c) Graduation report—During the final year of each strategy required by section 5(c), the President shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report outlining the criteria and methodologies for graduating target countries and communities from assistance provided to implement such strategy as such countries and communities meet the progress benchmarks identified pursuant to subsection (a)(5).”