Food (In)security and the US

Though the US contributes substantially to programs that reduce food insecurity, removing agricultural subsidies may do even more to correct market imbalances that prevent poor countries from investing in agricultural products that benefit their populations in both nutrition and as exports.  US agricultural policies have radically changed in the past decade to combat food insecurity in the US, such as funding programs to reduce food deserts, and subsidizing healthier lunches for school children, but large scale subsidies remain.  A G20 report explained, “Policies that distort production and trade in agricultural commodities potentially impede the achievement of long run food security, by stimulating or conserving production in areas where it would not occur and by distorting, obscuring or impeding the transmission of price signals to competitive producers elsewhere” (p. 24).

G20, 2011.  “Price Volatility in Food and Agricultural Markets: Policy Reponses.”  G20 Policy Report, 2 June 2011.  Downloaded from: http://www.foodsecurityportal.org/sites/default/files/g20_interagency_report_food_price_volatility.pdf [31 October 2016]