The Foreign Service Journal, October 2015

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | OCTOBER 2015 39 W orld food security is rightly a high priority for the United States. While the large U.S. commod- ity sector and industrial agriculture clearly reap the benefits of our commod- ity food aid, support of global trade and export promotion, such short-term “aid” does not help other countries to develop their own food security. In fact, as it stands, our free trade and commodity export agendas are in conflict with our development agenda—and this conflict ultimately leads to food dependency, not food security. Instead of a focus on promoting commodity exports and A Closer Look at Advancing World Food Security In agriculture, our free trade and commodity export agendas conflict with our development agenda, and the result is food insecurity. Here is the case for a change in focus. BY M I CHAE L MCCL E L LAN Michael McClellan is a retired Senior Foreign Service officer who most recently served as deputy chief of mis- sion in Juba, South Sudan. Prior to that, he served for 28 years as a public diplomacy officer in Yemen, Egypt, Russia, Serbia, Germany, Kosovo, Ireland, Iraq (twice) and Ethiopia. He is now the diplomat-in-residence for Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Kentucky, where he also has a small, or- ganic farm. A version of this article appeared in the Summer 2014 Sm all Farmer ’ s Journal . the adoption of biotech and industrial farming products and techniques pitched by American agribusiness, our focus should be on people, land and communities. Because it relies more on development of local food sources than on a global trading sys- tem that primarily benefits large corporations, such an approach will build food security abroad. Our objective should not be to “feed the world,” but rather to “enable the world to feed itself.” In doing so, we will set an example for other rich nations to follow in supporting sustain- able farming globally. Advancing Food Security To truly advance our food security agenda, and improve America’s image abroad in the bargain, we need to adopt a five- part agenda that: 1. promotes sustainable and environmentally responsible stewardship of the land; 2. minimizes cash inputs such as fertilizers, pesticides, herbi- cides and imported equipment; 3. keeps people on the land through support for small-scale farms and does not displace them into urban areas; 4. fosters reliance on traditional, nonpatented seeds and local “heritage” livestock breeds; and 5. promotes a better environment through improvement of soils, improved water usage and better carbon sequestration. FEATURE