The Foreign Service Journal, March 2012

20 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / M A R C H 2 0 1 2 status of women and children under 2 years of age in up to 25 districts. We are doing so by improving dietary quality and diversity, offering greater access to health services and promoting health-seeking behaviors. As we work to enhance global food security and improve nutrition, President Obama has also directed us to get bet- ter results for every taxpayer dollar invested. Thus, we are not only increasing overall investments in agriculture and nutrition, but are focusing those funds more efficiently. Bang for the Buck Toward that end, a key component of Feed the Future is targeted assistance. Rather than investing in everything everywhere, we collaborate with partner countries and other donors in specific regions that have the best chance of flourishing. We also support the development of crops — across the entire chain from farm to table — that have the greatest potential to alleviate poverty and reduce un- dernutrition. In Ghana, for example, we are putting 80 percent of Feed the Future resources into the northern part of the country, where analysis indicates productivity can be most readily increased. For the same reason, we are focus- ing on four specific agricultural products — rice, maize, soya and fish — with the greatest potential impact on the lives of the poor. Critical to achieving success is a comprehensive approach that focuses on how countries can effectively increase their own production, marketing and nutrition programs, so they do not have to rely on food aid in the future. For this reason, we are helping countries to de- velop their own plans and in- crease their funding— inmany cases, more than doubling their individual commitments to agriculture. We have significantly ad- vanced country-owned plans and used them as a basis to de- velop multiyear strategies with 24 bilateral and regional U.S. government missions to align U.S. investments in support of these plans. Feed the Fu- ture strategies are country-owned and country-led because we know that progress depends on inclusive leadership, the commitment of political leaders, and the quality of systems in developing countries. With a combination of good gov- ernance and development investments, far-reaching, sus- tainable outcomes are achievable. We are also working with other donors and private-sec- tor partners to leverage our dollars and ensure that all ac- tors are aligned with country-led strategies. Working together to support the same strategic goals, we can have an impact at a scale that can transform food-insecure coun- tries into dynamic economies that can generate more in- come and feed their people. A perfect example is Tanzania, where we’re partnering with the World Bank and companies such as Yara, under the leadership of the host government, to support devel- opment of the Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania. Eighty percent of Feed the Future investments in Tanzania are focused on the SAGCOT, which President Jakaya Kikwete initiated. This public-private partnership F OCUS ISAAC THENDIU Paul Weisenfeld (center, blue cap) visits the Garissa Livestock Market in Kenya, a Feed the Future focus country.