MSU President Peter McPherson has initiated an international Partnership to Cut Hunger in Africa as "an independent effort formed by U.S. and African public and private sector institutions and international humanitarian organizations . . . to formulate a vision, strategy, and action plan for renewed U.S. efforts to help African partners cut hunger [in Africa] significantly by 2015." The Partnership is based in Washington, D.C., and is co-chaired by Malian President Alpha Oumar Konaré, former U.S. Senator Robert Dole, and former U.S. Representative Lee Hamilton. The initiative was announced on the MSU campus recently by Partnership Executive Director Susan G. Schram, who also heads the core management and strategy group; Howard Gobstein, MSU assistant vice president and director of federal relations in Washington; and MSU agricultural economists Michael Weber and John Staatz, members (with Julia Howard) of the partnership technical committee.

The ultimate goals of the partnership in its fight against hunger in Africa are to foster more effective advocacy in U.S. policy circles for increased governmental assistance, increased commitment from corporations and foundations, and increased cooperation and coordination among the many institutions and organizations currently involved in this effort, as they work with committed African leaders to "create a sustainable way for Africa to become a more equal and active partner in the global economy and community."

The partnership is not intended to be a permanent organization. When it disbands in about a year, it hopes to have produced a comprehensive diagnostic document outlining the current situation in Africa as well as a second document outlining in detail what the appropriate U.S. response should be to this crisis. Relating agricultural and food systems issues to health, environmental, and capacity building issues will be addressed as well. Also in the planning stage is a major international conference, slated for June 2001, on issues related to hunger in Africa. The conference will bring together high level African participants and representatives of many U.S.-based institutions and organizations.

The partnership advisory committee is chaired by Earl Kellogg of the University of Illinois, and includes representatives from the Universities of Maryland Eastern Shore, Minnesota, Purdue, and Tufts, as well as the Global Livestock CRSP at the University of California-Davis, NASULGC, the Rockefeller Foundation, Carter Center, U.S. Department of Agriculture, World Bank, International Food Policy Research Institute, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, American Friends Service Committee, Lutheran World Relief, Catholic Relief Services, International Center for Research on Women, Save the Children, ACDI/VOCA, International Development Conference, National Summit on Africa, SEEP Network, North American Millers Association, Cargill Incorporated, and Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. Representatives from Africa are Moctar Toure, executive secretary of the SPAAR Secretariat at the World Bank, and Josue Dione (invited) of the African Development Bank.

For more about the partnership and background related to hunger in Africa, consult the Web site at http://www.africanhunger.org/.