USAID Announces Over $57M to Drive Global Food Security and Climate Smart Agriculture

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), with support from Congress, has pledged a USD 57.4 million to drive forward global food security, climate-smart agriculture, and poverty reduction initiatives. This funding was announced during the 2024 World Food Prize Borlaug Dialogue in Iowa, with the aim to address critical agricultural challenges. Over USD 38 million of this commitment will strengthen Feed the Future, the U.S. government’s flagship initiative to fight global hunger and undernutrition through advanced agricultural research and partnerships.

Key investments will support the Feed the Future Innovation Lab network, which collaborates with top U.S. universities and global research institutions to pioneer solutions in agriculture and food security. Among the funded initiatives is the Climate Resilient Sustainable Intensification Lab, led by Kansas State University, focusing on developing technologies that boost agricultural productivity on limited land with fewer environmental costs. In parallel, Washington State University’s Veterinary Vaccine Delivery Lab will work to accelerate the creation and deployment of vaccines for livestock that do not require refrigeration, benefiting smallholder farmers in remote areas.

Further funding allocations target advancements in coffee and poultry production. World Coffee Research and Cornell University have teamed up to create robust coffee varieties, while the University of Florida, alongside the University of California, Davis, is addressing poultry diseases by developing resilient chicken breeds. Additionally, Cornell, Purdue, and Michigan State Universities have received extensions to continue their work on climate-resilient crops, food safety policies, and local food security policy, respectively.

The remainder of the USAID funding will support disease-resistant wheat varieties in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and CIMMYT, contributions to the Global Crop Diversity Trust for developing crop resilience against climate challenges, and funding for Akademiya2063 to promote African leadership in agricultural policy reform.

The Feed the Future initiative has demonstrated impactful results, as highlighted in the recently released Interagency Report. In the program’s first decade, hunger and poverty dropped by 20–25% in targeted areas. In 2023, Feed the Future collaborated with over 6.2 million farmers to implement improved practices on 4.5 million hectares of land, enhancing productivity and sustainability. These efforts enabled small and medium enterprises to access USD 1.4 billion in agricultural financing, with private sector investment reaching USD 677 million—double the amount recorded in 2020, resulting in record sales of USD 4.6 billion.

With this renewed commitment, USAID and Feed the Future continue to work alongside global partners, aiming for transformative change in agricultural resilience, food security, and economic growth.