NAIROBI, Monday, September 11, 2017 – USAID’s new Administrator Mark Green announced the United States continued commitment towards working with Kenya on food security with the selection of Kenya as one of 12 partner countries in the global hunger and food security initiative, Feed the Future. Countries were selected based on their need, their partnership with the United States and their commitment to investing effort and resources to tackle food insecurity and stunting.

Launched in 2009 in response to global food price spikes, Feed the Future is addressing the root causes of hunger and poverty and builds communities that are more resilient to drought, famine and other natural disasters, and less dependent on emergency food assistance. The announcement comes one year after the historic passage of the U.S. Global Food Security Act of 2016.

U.S. Ambassador to Kenya Robert F. Godec said, “Through Feed the Future, the U.S. government is working with Kenya to transform the agriculture sector. Together, we are linking farmers to markets, boosting small businesses, and creating pathways out of poverty for millions of Kenyans.”

Feed the Future’s results to date:

• Increased maize productivity by 65 percent for smallholder households from 2013 to 2016 (from 1.5MT/Ha to 2.3 MT/Ha for 457,876 )
• Increased income from sales of livestock for approximately 60,000 households from KES 9.4 billion ($94 million) in 2013 to KES 12.8 billion ($128 million) in 2016
• Increased gross margin per dairy cow from KES 37,000 ($371) in 2012 to KES 117,600 ($1176) in 2016 from 239,698 cows

For more information, visit www.feedthefuture.gov. ###

For more information please contact: Kimberly Case Senior Regional Development Outreach and Communications +254 706 033 203 or kcase@usaid.gov@usaid.gov>