Nepal to benefit from Feed the Future Initiative
Kathmandu, 12 May: The U.S. Embassy said Wednesday Nepal has been selected as one of 20 focus countries for President Obama’s $3.5 Billion Feed the Future initiative.
Feed the Future is a comprehensive country-owned and agriculture-led approach that aims to significantly and sustainably reduce hunger and poverty in the developing world. The U.S. Government has named food security as a major global priority.
USAID Mission Director, Dr. Kevin Rushing, met with the Mr. Nathu Prasad Chaudhary, Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives and Dr. Jagadish Chandra Pokharel, the Vice Chairman of the National Planning Commission to inform them of the good news.
Mission Director, Dr. Rushing stated; “The United States is working closely with the Government of Nepal and the other donors to be sure we can meet President Obama’s objectives to reduce chronic hunger and poverty in Nepal.”
Although more than 80% of Nepal’s population works in the agriculture sector, production of staple crops like wheat and barley has steadily declined. Sixty-six percent of Nepali households report food shortages and nearly half of children under five are undernourished.
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The 20 Feed the Future focus countries are: Nepal, Bangladesh, Cambodia, and Tajikistan in Asia; Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia in Africa; and Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, and Nicaragua in Latin America.
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