Today, the United States and the Government of Ethiopia jointly signed a declaration of partnership for the U.S. government’s new five-year Feed the Future strategy to invest in food security, build resilience, and accelerate economic growth opportunities in Ethiopia. Minister of Agriculture Oumer Hussein and Deputy Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Bonnie Glick signed the agreement, which renews U.S. government agriculture, nutrition, and food security-related commitments through 2024, in support of the Prime Minister’s New Horizon of Hope agenda. The new multi-sector Feed the Future strategy also aligns with the Ethiopian government’s national-level development strategies, and contributes to Ethiopia’s vision of becoming a prosperous, middle-income country by 2025.

Ethiopia is one of only 12 partner countries worldwide chosen to participate in this new phase of the Feed the Future initiative. Feed the Future has already made a tremendous difference in the lives of beneficiaries around the world. Since 2013, stunting among children under 5 years of age has dropped by 18 percent in areas where Feed the Future programs are operating. Hundreds of thousands of maize farmers are now using higher yielding seeds, nearly tripling production on average, and chickpea, coffee, livestock, dairy, and poultry farmers participating in Feed the Future have more than doubled their annual profits over the past year.

Over the next five years, Feed the Future will build on past successes in Ethiopia, forging new partnerships and greater collaboration among government, donors, and businesses to provide economic growth opportunities and improve health, nutrition, and resilience for millions of Ethiopians. Feed the Future will also promote increased engagement with the private sector to introduce new and innovative solutions to the challenges Ethiopia faces while opening new commercial opportunities.

“By combining our abilities, the public and private sectors of the United States and Ethiopia can help achieve the New Horizon of Hope goals of creating domestic business and jobs while increasing export revenues. We will work across ministries to improve the nutritional status of children and young women. Together we can strengthen public service delivery at the local level. Most importantly, we can strengthen the resilience of communities and families to all kinds of shocks,” said USAID Deputy Administrator Glick.

The United States has invested approximately $4 billion in development and humanitarian assistance in Ethiopia over the past five years to help people across the country lead healthier and more prosperous lives.