The U.S. Government has just launched “Feed the Future,” the implementation strategy for its global hunger and food security initiative.

“We are all impatient because we are acutely aware that today the lack of adequate food will result in the premature deaths of about 25,000 people,” said Dr. Rajiv Shah, USAID Administrator who gave the keynote address at a symposium on Global Agriculture and Food Security in tandem with the launch on May 20.

In his keynote, Dr. Shah referred to HarvestPlus when he discussed how agriculture could improve nutrition. Increasing access to diverse and quality foods and investing in research to improve the nutrient value of staple foods are part of the “Feed the Future” strategy, which seeks to improve nutritional status, especially of women and children, as one of its main objectives.

The strategy includes a case study on how orange sweet potato rich in vitamin A is improving health and economic well-being in Africa. HarvestPlus collaborated with the International Potato Center in breeding orange sweet potato, as part of its larger mandate to biofortify the world’s most important staple food crops with micronutrients.

“The crops we’ve worked on since 2003 are those eaten daily by poor people in much of Africa and South Asia,” said Dr. Howarth Bouis, HarvestPlus Director.

“We’re thrilled to see this focus on agriculture and nutrition from key players in the international development arena,” said Dr. Bouis. “We believe that in time this will prove to be one of the most effective strategies for improving nutrition and health for millions of people in poorer countries.”

HarvestPlus is now gearing up with its partners to release two new iron-rich crop varieties: bean in Rwanda and pearl millet in India.