ENERGY SECURITY: Enhance United States global energy security by promoting open, transparent, integrated, and diversified energy markets; encouraging appropriate energy sector investments; and developing and sharing clean energy.
Analysis: A primary focus of the Department's diplomatic efforts in the area of energy security is promoting the development and implementation of policies in foreign governments designed to diversify energy sources and foster growth in the clean energy sector. One indicator for this Strategic Goal is the percent of world energy supplies from non-oil sources. This trend has increased incrementally in recent years in part due to supply diversification provided by lower carbon sources such as unconventional gas, biofuels and other renewable energy, and in part due to demand reduction as a result of the global economic downturn and, importantly, measures to increase efficiency and conservation.
AGRICULTURE: In many developing countries, increased productivity and growth in the agricultural sector is critical to overall economic prosperity and poverty reduction. In this sector, the United States promotes broad-based agricultural sector growth, expanded agricultural trade and market systems, and broadened application of scientific and technological advances, including biotechnology and sustainable natural resource management. Increased agricultural productivity is an important goal for nearly all the countries in which the United States provides assistance. Activities in this Program Area are a core element of the President's Feed the Future (FTF) initiative.
Analysis: Increasing agricultural productivity is an important goal for almost all of the countries to which the United States provides assistance. Working with rural households, the United States promotes technological change and its adoption by different actors in the agricultural supply chain, which is critical to increasing smallholders' agricultural production as well as agricultural productivity at regional and national levels. In FY 2011, more than 5 million farmers and others applied new technologies or management practices as a result of U.S. Government assistance, exceeding the target of 3.6 million by 45 percent. This is a result of increased emphasis on extension and outreach, and expansion of activities to new areas and new crops. Activities such as Nepal's Economic Agriculture and Trade program and Senegal's Wula Nafaa project work with farmers and other individuals to increase usage of appropriate agricultural technologies and management practices.
ENVIRONMENT: Promote partnerships for economic development that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve air quality, and create other co-benefits by using and developing markets to improve energy efficiency, enhance conservation and biodiversity, and expand low-carbon energy sources.
Analysis: Greenhouse gas emissions reduced or sequestered as measured in carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2-eq) is an internationally recognized measure of climate change mitigation. It enables comparison of impacts from policies and activities that reduce, avoid, or store greenhouse gases in the energy, industry, transport, and land-use sectors. Results can be aggregated to demonstrate program-wide impact on reducing emissions that lead to climate change. FY 2011 results exceed the target by 100 million metric tons, due in part to the successes of the Central Africa Regional Program for the Environment, though most reporting missions met their FY 2011 targets. As the Agency moves forward with the new Climate Change and Development Strategy, there will be a shift in emphasis to more cost-effective activities that seek transformational change through policy reform, enhancing national systems, and capacity building. These activities do not lead to easily quantifiable near-term reductions, and long-term impact may be indirect or subject to a time lag. To improve long-term results, the President's Global Climate Change Initiative will work with partner countries to develop low emission development strategies, improve the enabling environment for clean energy, link field level activities to national policy frameworks, and support robust monitoring and evaluation efforts. Targets for FY 2012 and FY 2013 are conservative to reflect this new focus on longer-term, sustainable results.
Kongera Bosoro and Abdallah Francis Bosoro are a sister and brother who farm small plots of land in Tanzania. With U.S. Government assistance, Kongera has improved her yield from farming and Abdallah is using his augmented income to support his family's needs and to construct a new house. USAID
President Obama's Feed the Future is the U.S. Government's global hunger and food security initiative. A whole-of-government effort led by USAID, Feed the Future promotes country-led approaches to advancing food security. With a focus on smallholder farmers, particularly women, Feed the Future supports countries in developing their agriculture sectors as a catalyst to generate broad-based economic growth that increases incomes and reduces hunger. As the overall framework to address global hunger, Feed the Future recognizes the importance of providing food aid and other humanitarian assistance during crises to save lives and protect livelihoods. Feed the Future also integrates nutrition interventions to ensure that our investments lead to improved agriculture and better health, while supporting conflict mitigation and good governance efforts required to achieve the goals of reducing poverty and undernutrition.
Over the past year, Feed the Future investments have increased the productivity and access of vulnerable populations to nutritious foods. Through Feed the Future support to improve the quality of milk production in Kenya, more than 90,000 smallholder farmers increased their income by $14 million. Feed the Future also launched new programs in Africa that will support efforts to strengthen farming systems and increase crop yields. In Bangladesh, use of fertilizer to increase yields expanded from close to zero to more than 244,000 hectares. In Guatemala, over seven thousand women were trained in agricultural production, marketing and improved feeding practices. Overall, Feed the Future will directly benefit millions of people in increasing their incomes and improve the nutritional status of millions of undernourished children.
For more information visit Feed the Future.
