Trump’s abolishing of USAID is a godsend for some and death knell for others
As the dust settles following the freezing of the activities of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) globally, work supporting climate change interventions, particularly Climate Smart Agriculture in developing regions of the world will face a serious setback. Most of this work has been going on under the flagship USAID initiative known as Feed the Future (FTF). FTF was launched in 2010 by the United States Government and the Obama Administration to address global hunger and food insecurity. Divided opinion Opinion remains divided about the abruptness of the freeze, which will officially last for three months (90 days), and which was made on President Trump’s first day in office. The point of contention is whether it bodes well or ill for beneficiary countries. Those who support the move argue that for most developing countries, particularly those in Africa, including Kenya, still rely on donor aid for essential life support services – food prod...