Bill > S1888

This bill establishes the United States Foundation for International Food Security, a private, nonprofit corporation designed to leverage private sector investments to improve agricultural production and food systems globally. The Foundation will be governed by a Board of Directors with up to 15 members who have expertise in agriculture, economics, international finance, and national security. Its primary purposes include accelerating agricultural investments, deploying agricultural technologies, preventing food loss, supporting local food systems, and advancing U.S. national security interests. The Foundation will focus on providing funding and support to ventures that increase agricultural productivity, ensure food security, and help farmers move beyond subsistence agriculture. It will use an outcome-based funding approach, prioritizing measurable results like increased crop yields and farmer incomes, and will implement rigorous impact evaluations to assess project success. The Foundation is explicitly prohibited from supporting countries that support terrorism or violate human rights, and it must maintain transparency through annual reports to congressional committees. Funding will come from grants appropriated by the Department of State, with an emphasis on cost-matching from non-U.S. government sources. Importantly, the Foundation is not a government agency, and its board members and staff are not considered federal employees, ensuring a degree of operational independence while still serving U.S. foreign policy objectives.

Government Affairs

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/1888/all-info