The politics of alleviating world hunger: United States policy towards global food security between 1974-199

This study will attempt to answer several questions regarding the U.S. food policy-making process with respect to global food security issue since the 1974 World Food Conference. What were the major factors which defined the food security policy debate? Who were the key players in the policy debate? What was their stand with respect to protecting farm interests vs. humanitarian concerns? Were legislators firmly committed to the idea that the United States should make a contribution to the international food effort by effectively using agricultural surpluses to meet the needs of world hunger?;Specifically, this study addresses two hypotheses. Hypothesis #1. If the food policy-making process harbors actors who have conflicting interests and values (Destler, 1980), the policy making process will inevitably involve trade-offs among these values. A detailed examination of three legislations dealing with global food security issue will help to determine whether the humanitarian components of the program were subordinated to the political exigencies of domestic and foreign policy concerns. Hypothesis #2. If the international food policy arena involves a heterogeneous set of actors whose interests range across a wide spectrum, this would complicate coordination efforts in policy making. Examination of policy debates will reveal how key decision makers have tried to accommodate conflict between domestic and international priorities underlying these three legislations.