Feed the Future is an initiative started by President Barack Obama in 2009 after the G8 summit in L’Aquila, Italy. The $3.5 billion pledged over three years to support enhanced food security is part of the $20 billion total pledge from G20 countries. The program seeks to increase agriculture sector growth and enhance nutrition, especially for women and children. There are twenty countries targeted for this program, with several of those countries identified as super-focus countries. Eight percent of the funding is dedicated towards research that will advance production, transform production systems, enhance food security and nutrition.

The Feed the Future SANREM Innovation Lab is currently active in eight of the focus countries (Ghana, Mali, Kenya, Uganda, Nepal, Cambodia, Haiti). Although some details of the program are still evolving, the work of SANREM should be made to fit into the Feed the Future strategies by taking into consideration the following points:

• Different partners (NGOs, private sector partners, and SANREM universities in terms of the value chain) should be identified to help broaden the work of SANREM CRSP in these countries
• Strategies will focus on the development side
• Projects should insert themselves into the research priorities
• Missions allocate the budget for research; popularity of projects depends on the individual missions
• Pursue associate awards related to FTF
• Changes in local procurement processes is worth noting; more money is going to local entities rather than larger ones
• Issues in individual countries should be considered Consortiums of organizations can come together to apply for different opportunities; expand impact by encouraging local partners to apply for grants
• Priorities should be led by countries and include gender
• Address the worldwide concerns by increasing gains through conservation agriculture; link this to productivity Missions want to hear about links between research and nutrition
• Missions choose their priority value chains based on what other organizations/donors are focusing on
• Human resource development is critical to long-term security
• Issues in training versus technology
• Engage the mission more for feedback