| Media Note Office of the Spokesman Washington, DC October 14, 2005 World Food Day: The U.S. Commitment to Reducing World HungerThe 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 coincides 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 reaffirms 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. On the occasion of World Food Day, 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. 2005/947
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