United States announces to raise $135m to combat food insecurity of Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, Nov 17 (SABAH): The United States announced on Thursday that a total of $135 million had been raised as funding to combat global fertiliser shortages and food insecurity in low- and middle-income countries, according to a US Department of State press release.

In a tweet, the US Embassy in Islamabad announced that the United States plans to provide support to Pakistan through the funds raised by the Global Fertiliser Challenge. The embassy referred to the countries’ “multiyear partnership” in the US-Pakistan Green Alliance and shared its plans to help Pakistani farmers “use fertiliser more efficiently” and “maximise food production”.

The funds raised exceeded US President Joe Biden’s initial goal for the Global Fertiliser Challenge, which was set at $100 million dollars by COP27.

The US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry took to his Twitter to share that the Global Fertiliser Challenge to combat food insecurity had over-delivered, with $135 million in new funding.

He said that these funds will be allocated towards “fertilizer efficiency and soil health programs, maximizing food production, and cutting environmental impacts like climate super-pollutant N2O”.

The press release stated that the funds aim to provide support to low- and middle-income countries and “address the global fertiliser shortages that may have been caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine”. From the funds collected, $109 million are from the public while $25 million are from the US, reported the press release.

The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) is leveraging $4.5 million from the private sector while a group of philanthropic funders and investors have committed $21.5 million to address fertiliser’s role in the climate, food security and energy crises.

It added that the funds would be used to “expand fertiliser and soil health programs in sub-Saharan Africa and key middle-income countries outside the continent”.