On Tuesday, October 13^th, the Congressional Hunger Center, Mercy Corps, InterAction and Friends of the World Food Program co-sponsored an informal reception for Members of Congress, Hill Staff, representatives from the Department of State, USDA, USAID, the Millenium Challenge Corporation, and non-governmental organizations to observe World Food Day. Some 65 attendees gathered to learn about current legislative efforts in Congress and a food security strategy proposed by the Obama Administration to reduce global hunger and malnutrition.

World Food Day was founded by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 1981 to highlight progress and challenges to ending world hunger. Every year during the week of October 16^th, World Food Day, we pause to recognize that too many members of our human family go hungry and malnourished, even with an abundance of food on the planet.

At the reception, speakers paid tribute to the over 1 billion men, women and children around the world who do not have access to food. Attendees dedicated their efforts to work alongside those who are poor and hungry and to make significant improvements in how the U.S. provides foreign development assistance.

Remarks: Representative Jo Ann Emerson and Representative James P. McGovern (HR 2817, The Roadmap to End Global Hunger and Improve Food Security Act of 2009) Representative Betty McCollum. (HR 3077, The Global Food Security Act of 2009) William Craft, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Trade, Policy and Programs, Department of State (The Global Hunger and Food Security Initiative)