Title XII Report to Congress Fiscal Year 2008

Under the leadership of the Secretary of State, a broad inter-agency team is developing a government-wide strategy to address hunger and poverty in food-insecure countries, using agriculture as the primary driver. The strategy will promote host country ownership and coordination with other donors, multi-lateral organizations, civil society and the private sector in the design and implementation of country-led programs. Areas of focus are expected to include increasing agricultural productivity, linking small producers to markets and encouraging private sector growth, increasing agricultural trade, improving nutrition, ensuring equitable opportunity for women, and engaging underserved populations, particularly the very poor, in rural economic growth. USAID will work with a variety of stakeholders and partners, including US universities, to mobilize the knowledge, efforts and resources necessary to pull millions of people out of poverty and hunger. University-based programming under Title XII provides USAID with analytical resources for sound policy recommendations and evidence-based programming in support of the food security strategy looking forward. Title XII programs will also build human and institutional capacity to equip countries with the knowledge and tools to drive their own development. In 2008, university partners made valuable contributions to agricultural research generating appropriate technologies and agronomic practices to improve the productivity of small farmers in developing countries and help improve their access to markets. The Administration has made clear that agriculture and food security are priority areas for foreign assistance. Within the 2010 budget presented to Congress, the President requested a doubling of the budget for agricultural development, to a total of more than $1 billion, which will provide the foundation for the new strategy and expanded efforts to re-establish U.S. leadership in agricultural development. Title XII activities will play an important role in delivering on the ambitious goals of reducing hunger and poverty. Over the next five years, USAID will expand agricultural research and capacity building programming under Title XII to meet the challenges of the food security agenda. Three new collaborative research support programs (CRSPs) are being planned for 2010 to support research and dissemination of adaptive technologies and innovative programming approaches in the areas of nutrition, horticulture and livestock. The latter will include addressing the impact that climate change has on livestock production systems and food security. An assessment of development constraints related to water management will be conducted in 2010, for possible program development in 2011. Expanded programming in Afghanistan and Pakistan will include applied research to improve crop productivity, reduce post-harvest losses, and control diseases. Accountability will be an important cornerstone of the emergent food security strategy. USAID will harness its university partners' capacity for rigorous impact evaluation in order to inform programming priorities and refine approaches.