Source:  Rita Jane Gabbett, MEATINGPLACE.COM, 5/3/11

Eight of the world’s leading foundations launched AGree, an initiative that will tackle long-term food and agriculture policy issues confronting the nation and the world as the population continues to grow and resources become ever-more constrained.

AGree is launching with an eye toward predictions that over the next four decades there will be a 38 percent population increase — an additional 2.6 billion people on earth to feed — while already 925 million people currently suffer under-nutrition or hunger. Simultaneously, the world faces a limited amount of easily accessible arable land, increasing pressures on fresh water quality and availability, and accelerating environmental degradation.

“AGree will fill a crucial void in current agriculture research and discussions that frequently do not consider solutions across multiple sectors such as environment, energy, rural economies and health,” the group declared in a news release.

“Agriculture issues need to be at the top of the United States’ and world’s agenda, alongside energy, healthcare and national security,” said former Kansas congressman and former Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman, who is one of four group co-chairs. AGree will elevate the agriculture and food policy conversation. "We will make it clear to leaders and policymakers that, while difficult, solving food and agriculture issues is of utmost importance and can help solve other pressing problems including public health and the need for economic growth,” he said.

The group will focus on U.S. food and agricultural policy with these three goals: 1) to improve food productivity and the environmental viability of food production; 2) to increase access to nutritious food; and 3) to improve economic opportunities in rural communities.

Along with Glickman, co-chairs include: Gary Hirshberg, chairman, president and CEO of Stonyfield Farm; Jim Moseley, former deputy secretary at the U.S. Department of Agriculture under President George W. Bush and Indiana farmer for more than 40 years; and, Emmy Simmons, former assistant administrator for Economic Growth, Agriculture and Trade at the U.S. Agency for International Development.  

AGree is funded by Ford Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, The McKnight Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation and The Walton Family Foundation.

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