As was the case during the Marshall Plan era, global poverty remains a challenge to the international community. Around half the world’s population currently lives in extreme poverty, fully one-quarter on less than a dollar a day. Despite economic growth and widespread advances in technology, many in developing countries have so far been left behind by global economic integration. In a world where alienation and despair can cross borders as easily as people, goods, and capital, it is in the best interests of the transatlantic community to pursue policies that will spread the benefits of global economic growth far and wide. Development and trade policies as well as new approaches towards the promotion of food security play an important role in promoting economic development in the world’s poorest countries. The United States, Canada, and Europe have a joint population of 740 million people, account for around half of all global trade, provide more than 85 percent of official development assistance (ODA), and have recently committed significant resources to fight hunger and poverty through improved food security and sustainable agriculture. While this engagement is encouraging, it is important for the transatlantic partners to constantly reassess their development and trade policies and practices to improve global development outcomes. Together, and in partnership with developing countries, transatlantic partners can help to accelerate the pace of human and economic development while working alone or in separate directions would only add complication to an already complex process.

GMF News & Analysis

Partnering to Improve Food and Nutrition Security in AfricaMay 04, 2012 / Simon Winter

Transforming poor people's food and nutrition security is proving to be, as expected, a massive challenge.

Jonathan M. White Appointed Founding Member of EU Development BoardFebruary 01, 2012 / Jonathan M. White

GMF Senior Program Officer Jonathan M. White has been appointed a founding member of the Scientific Advisory Board on EU development policy by European Commissioner for Development, Andris Piebalgs.

Programs & Projects more

Wider Atlantic

GMF’s Wider Atlantic Program, led by Dr. Ian O. Lesser, the executive director of GMF’s Transatlantic Center in Brussels, builds on the experience of the past three years, and will promote a more comprehensive approach to Atlanticism, with north-south and south-south relations at the core. The GMF-OCP Foundation partnership looks to move beyond the traditional northerly axis that has driven contemporary transatlantic relations. The new initiative underscores the growing importance of Africa and Latin America as actors in the Atlantic space. It also focuses on the shared policy challenges shaping the future of four continents around the Atlantic basin. From the rise of Brazil to the growing role of China, the Atlantic equation is evolving rapidly, and so is the need for a wider conversation about Atlantic futures.

Balkan Trust for Democracy

The Balkan Trust for Democracy (BTD) is a 10-year, $36-million grantmaking initiative that supports democracy, good governance, and Euroatlantic integration in Southeastern Europe. This award-winning public-private partnership was created in 2003 by the German Marshall Fund of the United States, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. BTD is structured to allow both European and U.S. partners to join the effort to strengthen transatlantic cooperation in the Balkans.

Events More

On the Ground in Afghanistan – Roundtable with Afghan Opinion MakersMarch 30, 2012

On Friday March 30, 2012 GMF Brussels hosted a group of eight Afghan opinion makers consisting of media and civil society representatives, a Member of Parliament, and an advisoir to the NATO Senior Civilian Representative in Afghanistan.

YTN Event on Water SecurityMarch 27, 2012

On Tuesday 27 March, the GMF and the U.S. Mission to the European Union hosted a Young Translatlantic Network lunch discussion on water security with Ingrid Verstraeten, from U.S. Geological Survey, and Efastathios Dalmangas, from DG Development and Cooperation, European Commission.

Task Force Encourages New Approach to U.S. – EU Trade RelationsFebruary 23, 2012

Following a week of launch events across Europe, on February 22, the German Marshall Fund hosted the U.S. launch of the report from the Transatlantic Task Force on Trade and Investment, “A New Era for Transatlantic Trade Leadership.”

U.S. Officials Discuss U.S.-Indian Defense Initiatives, New Economic PartnershipOctober 04, 2011No executive summary for this post

Publications More

Excess, Access, and the Emerging Geopolitics of FoodMay 15, 2012 / Kathryn Thulin, Mark Allegrini

This policy brief identifies some of the major factors that contribute to food insecurity.

Transformational Partnerships: Innovative Approaches To Addressing Food Security In AfricaApril 18, 2012 / Jim Kolbe, Jean-Michel SeverinoThis report's main focus is on understanding the unique characteristics of transformational partnerships in food security in Africa so that they can be scaled up across the continent.