Biden to Announce $2.9 Billion in Global Food Aid in UN Speech

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(Bloomberg) — President Joe Biden will announce $2.9 billion in fresh US government assistance to address global food insecurity during his speech Wednesday to the United Nations General Assembly. 

The new funds, announced by the White House ahead of the speech, are a response to growing concerns about hunger worldwide due to rising food, fertilizer and energy prices caused in part by the war in Ukraine.

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The US will spend $2 billion in humanitarian assistance from the Agency for International Development, including money for food aid, health care and safe drinking water in vulnerable countries, the White House said in a statement. 

More than $780 million will go toward development funding to help farmers come up with sustainable growing methods and improve food delivery systems, among other projects. The US is also contributing $150 million to the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program.

The new money comes on top of $6.9 billion to address food security the US already committed this year.