United States Foundation for International Food Security Act of 2025
The United States Foundation for International Food Security Act of 2025 would create a private nonprofit foundation (not a U.S. government agency) in Washington, DC, aimed at mobilizing private sector investment to boost sustainable agricultural production, strengthen food systems to withstand shocks, reduce malnutrition, and promote U.S. foreign policy and national security objectives. It would be funded primarily through annual State Department grants (with a preference for cost-sharing from non-government sources) and governed by a 15-member Board with a nonfederal structure, independent accountability mechanisms, and a focus on measurable outcomes. The Foundation would finance and support ventures—often in collaboration with local partners—through grants, concessional lending, insurance, and other financing tools, subject to rigorous impact evaluations, safeguards, and country eligibility criteria. It would also prohibit support for governments or entities tied to terrorism, human rights abuses, or sanctions violations, with a waivable exception only after a specified notice period. In short, the bill seeks to institutionalize a private, outcome-driven vehicle to attract private capital and expertise to improve agricultural productivity and resilience abroad while aligning with U.S. security and policy goals. It codifies governance, accountability, and funding rules intended to balance effectiveness with safeguards and transparency.
Key Points
- 1Establishment and governance: Creates a private, nonprofit United States Foundation for International Food Security (not a federal agency) with a Board of Directors (max 15 voting members) and a nonvoting Board of Advisors. The Foundation would hire an Executive Director, operate with a staff not employed by the U.S. government, and be subject to bylaws covering ethics, conflicts of interest, and winding-down procedures.
- 2Outcome-based funding and accountability: Requires a funding strategy built on measurable outcomes (e.g., increases in yields, incomes, reduced hunger) with a multi-year portfolio approach. Emphasizes impact evaluations (including control groups), third-party evaluations when needed, and an independent accountability mechanism for compliance, dispute resolution, and advisory reporting to the Board.
- 3Ventures, financing, and grants: Allows the Foundation to provide project financing, grants, concessional lending, insurance, and other financial tools for eligible ventures. Eligible ventures must have private, non-federal cost matching, independently verified outcomes, avoid duplicating others’ work, leverage local capacity, advance U.S. security interests, and include plans for sustaining or transferring capacity after Foundation support ends.
- 4Country eligibility and safeguards: Before engaging in ventures, the Foundation must establish country-eligibility criteria and identify investments that advance U.S. priorities, promote policy reforms, and foster long-term sustainability. Funding decisions emphasize collaboration with local actors, private sector leadership, and efforts to mitigate corruption.
- 5Sanctions and human-rights protections: Prohibits support for governments or entities that support terrorism, violate human rights, or appear on sanctions lists, with a President’s waiver option subject to advance notice to Congress. Grants may not be used to lobby Congress, and investments must comply with U.S. sanctions laws.
- 6Reporting and appropriations: Requires annual reporting to Congress (initially within two years of enactment, then annually by March 31) detailing goals, progress, lessons, outcomes, and an independent audit. Funding comes from State Department appropriations under the Foreign Assistance Act with a preference for nonfederal cost sharing and consultations with relevant committees.
- 7Relationship to other U.S. programs: The Foundation is intended to complement existing U.S. international finance and aid mechanisms (e.g., USAID, the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation) and to coordinate with other donors and local actors to catalyze private and public investment in food security.