NATIONAL CONSULTATIONS ON FOOD SECURITY AS FOUNDATION

                                              Release No. 0167.97

                                                               
                                    Tom Amontree (202) 720-4623
					     TAMONTREE@USDA.GOV                                   
                               Linda Habenstreit (202) 720-9442
                                       HABENSTREIT@FAS.USDA.GOV

GLICKMAN SEES NATIONAL CONSULTATIONS ON FOOD SECURITY AS FOUNDATION FOR      
  ACHIEVING GOAL OF ENDING HUNGER

  WASHINGTON, May 21, 1997--Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman said that
today's National Consultations on Food Security should form an excellent
foundation on which to build the U.S. Action Plan on Food Security.

  "People from all sectors sat down together to work out what domestic and
international priorities, actions, and commitments should be included in the
United States Action Plan," said Glickman.  "All those who attended today's
consultations gave serious thought to the issue before them--how best to
reduce hunger and malnourishment here in the U.S. and around the world.  I
was pleased to see a high level of participation, cooperation, and consensus
emerge among participants as they developed their recommendations.  I am
confident that together we are moving in the right direction."

  At today's consultations, Secretary Glickman, U.S. Agency for
International Development Administrator,  J. Brian Atwood, Congressman Jim
McDermott (D-Washington), Congressman Joseph Knollenberg (R-Michigan),
Congressman Tony P. Hall (D-Ohio), and international and domestic
representatives from the U.S. government, non-governmental organizations,
academia, and cooperatives expressed their views on the most important
activities, programs, and actions needed to alleviate hunger and
malnutrition at home and abroad.

  Glickman assured the audience that, "The U.S. government takes its
commitment to food security both at home and abroad very seriously.  Whether
it's providing food stamps to struggling families, healthy school lunches to
hungry children, nutritious meals to pregnant women and infants,  working to
promote food rescue and gleaning, or food and development assistance to
needy countries, we believe there's no excuse for a single hungry human
being--in our country or outside our borders.  Along with the government,
the private sector, private voluntary organizations, and foundations, groups
must find ways to work together to end hunger."

  Mary Ann Keeffe, Acting USDA Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and
Consumer Services, serving on the conference's domestic panel, echoed
Secretary Glickman's comments when she said, "We are committed to reducing
undernourishment and hunger in this country by 50 percent by the year 2015. 
The realization of this goal will be a major step in ensuring that all
citizens can share in the American dream." 

  A portion of the consultations was telecast from the U.S. Department of
Agriculture's Jefferson Auditorium to 16 sites around the country.  After
the telecast, participants at all locations discussed domestic and
international priorities, actions, and commitments that should be part of
the U.S. action plan.  The moderator in Washington, DC, was Robert
Paarlberg, Professor of Political Science at Wellesley College.

  Today's consultations are the first step in the process to develop the
U.S. Action Plan.  On June 5, individuals from each site will meet in
Washington, DC, to develop a consolidated set of recommendations.  These
recommendations will be divided by topic among joint drafting teams and a
 full draft will be available for public comment by the end of the summer. 
Based on comments received, the full draft will be revised and a final U.S. 
 action plan will be prepared for adoption toward the end of the year. 

  Last November at the World Food Summit in Rome, the United States agreed,
along with 186 other nations, to adopt seven commitments as part of the
World Food Summit Plan of Action.  The objective of these commitments is to
reduce undernourishment in the world by half no later than the year 2015. 
The seven commitments will be used as a basis for developing the U.S. action
plan.

  Regular updates on the development of the U.S. Action Plan can be found
on USDA's World Food Summit Home Page
(http://ffas.usda.gov/ffas/food_summit/summit.html).  Questions may be
directed to the Office of the National Food Security Coordinator,
USDA/Foreign Agricultural Service, Room 3008-South Building, STOP Code 1081,
Washington, DC, 20250-1000, tel. (202) 690-0776, fax (202) 720-6103, and TDD
(202) 690-4879.

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