Shah to discuss U.S. role in global agriculture at Food Security Investment Forum in Bangladesh

May 25 2010

USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah will arrive in Bangladesh on Tuesday to participate in the Food Security Investment Forum and other meetings, All Headline News reports (5/23).

The forum, which is to be hosted by the government of Bangladesh, will focus on the U.S. role in supporting countries in the development of their own food security plans - an "important element" of President Barack Obama's Feed the Future initiative, according to a press release from the U.S. Embassy in Dhaka, Bangladesh. "The Food Security Investment Forum is an important platform for facilitating a dialogue between key stakeholders to prioritize food security goals and activities in the country. At the Forum, Dr. Shah will meet with government officials, civil society, and opinion leaders in Bangladesh," the release states (5/23).

As part of the Feed the Future initiative, the U.S. will provide Bangladesh with $42 million annually over the next five years, Denise Rollins, mission director of USAID in the country, said ahead of Shah's visit, the Financial Express reports. Rollins said Bangladesh had been invited to be part of 20 launch countries eligible to receive funds from the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program. "We're rolling in new aid programme. Our funding for food security will be increased from $32 million to $42 million over the next five years starting from this June," she said (5/24).