Written by Lianna Marmor
Response to an article from The Guardian UK: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2009/oct/16/hillary-clinton-food-security.
Abstract of Article:
Food security is in the interest of all. Food security means confronting global hunger by “empowering the world’s farmers to sow and harvest plentiful crops, effectively care for livestock and catch fish, and then ensure that the food they produce reaches those who need it.” The article notes that more than three-quarters of poor people around the world rely on farming as their main source of income. When people cannot produce or sell their crops either because of flooding, drought, scarcity of resources, or a declining market, people lose that source of income. When people are hungry, mal-nourished, and impoverished this “can lead to tension, conflict, even violence. Since 2007, there have been riots over food in more than 60 countries.”
The Obama administration considers food security and chronic hunger as a high priority in its foreign policy agenda. The administration plans on confronting the issue from a bottom-up perspective, acknowledging that no outside source can know the situation in the respective country better than the locals do. This approach will enable the administration to provide help in the form of an investment rather than aid.
A five principal food security initiative has been created by the administration combat global hunger. The five principals are as follows:
1. There is no one size fits all model for agriculture. We will work with partner countries to create and implement their plans.
2. We will address underlying causes of hunger by investing in everything from better seeds to insurance for small farmers. And we leverage the skills and perseverance of women, who are the majority of the world’s farmers.
3. We will emphasize co-ordination on the country, regional, and global level, because no single entity can eradicate hunger on its own.
4. We will support multilateral institutions, which have unmatched reach and resources.
5. We pledge long-term commitment and accountability, and will invest in monitoring and evaluation tools that make our efforts transparent.
My Reaction:
First, I am surprised that Hillary Clinton published this article in a prominent UK newspaper. Why? I have not seen this article domestically. I understand that in international diplomacy it is important to tap into the issues that other countries are interested in and let them know that our country is also interested in those issues. Perhaps this is why Mrs. Clinton published in the UK.
Second, public diplomacy is intrinsically related to global security. I can think of no better connection than that of food security. I am actually wondering why this issue has not come up sooner? We often talk about war and conflict in public diplomacy, but we are less apt to talk about the sources of these conflicts. As the article points out, there have been over 60 riots over food in the past 2 years. People cannot think about politics or the welfare of the environment if they are hungry or if they cannot provide for their families. I would love to see more discussion on the sources of conflict and how public diplomacy can help.
Third, I want to know how the Obama administration plans on assuaging the food problem that we have within the United States. There is a major issue of food overproduction, corn that is left in warehouses to rot, lack of water for crops in California, and exporting corn and rice to countries that use those as their major exporting crops therefore devaluing their commodities, to name a few. In my opinion, the United States contributes too much of the food issues internationally. I wonder if the Obama administration is willing to admit its stake in the issue and try to remedy it.
Last, I am tremendously impressed by what Mrs. Clinton has promulgated on behalf of the Obama administration. If this food security plan is carried out I believe it could have significant impact on world hunger. Overall, I love the idea of it, but right now, it is only talk, and I’ll believe it when I see it.
Lianna Marmor is a graduate student in the Public Diplomacy program at Syracuse University. As part of the program, she is a candidate for an MS in Public Relations from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and an MA in International Relations from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.