Global Animal Health and Food Security Policy
At the Intersection of Environment, Animal Agriculture, and Food Security
Topic: Climate Change and Livestock - the Science, Politics, and Beliefs and
how they may affect food security.
Date: May 14, through May 18, 2012
US AID (United States Agency for International Development)
http://www.usaid.gov/
US AID is an agency of the United States
Government (the distinction between and
agency and a department is important
relative to governance). It was formed
in 1961 through executive order
(President Kennedy) and is the principal
(but not the only) agency for extending
assistance to countries recovering from
disaster, poverty, or implementing
governance reform.
USAID plays a vital role in promoting
U.S. national security, foreign policy,
and the War on Terrorism. It does so by
addressing poverty fueled by lack of
economic opportunity, one of the root
causes of violence today. As stated in
the President's National Security
Strategy, USAID's work in development
joins diplomacy and defense as one of
three key pieces of the nation's foreign
policy apparatus. USAID promotes peace
and stability by fostering economic
growth, protecting human health,
providing emergency humanitarian
assistance, and enhancing democracy in
developing countries. These efforts to
improve the lives of millions of people
worldwide represent U.S. values and
advance U.S. interests for peace and
prosperity.
USAID has developed "Feed the Future"
(http://www.feedthefuture.gov/)
as its guiding development program. One
of the elements of Feed the Future is to
"Enhance sustainability and resilience
of production using a systems approach
to environmental and natural resource
management. Within that framework are
considerations for mitigations in food
and livestock production to address
climate change. Directly
addressing Livestock and Climate Change
is the US AID supported CRSP
(Collaborative Research Support Program)
on Adapting Livestock Systems to Climate
Change (http://lcccrsp.org/).
A recent article in the New
Agriculturalist highlighted an ongoing
project in Tanzania (http://www.newag.info/en/focus/focusItem.php?a=2280).
If you have questions please contact Bill Sischo
wmsischo@vetmed.wsu.edu
