Posted on 05/21/2012 5:04:08 AM PDT by SJackson
(CNSNews.com) – President Barack Obama invoked his poor family members in Kenya as a reason why “economic growth can’t just be for the lucky few at the top, it’s got to be broad-based, for everybody.”
Obama delivered remarks Friday at the Symposium on Global Agriculture and Food Security in the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington where he talked about plans for the United States and developed countries from the Group of Eight (G8) nations to assist African countries in agriculture.
“I’ve spoken before about relatives I have in Kenya, who live in villages where hunger is sometimes a reality -- despite the fact that African farmers can be some of the hardest-working people on Earth,” said Obama, who along with first lady Michelle Obama have a net worth of between $2.6 million and $8.3 million, according to financial disclosure forms released by the White House on Tuesday.
“Most of the world’s unused arable land is in Africa,” the president continued. “Fifty years ago, Africa was an exporter of food. There is no reason why Africa should not be feeding itself and exporting food again. There is no reason for that.”
Bono, lead singer of U2, sat in the front row during the speech.
The president went on to say that growth shouldn’t be reserved for those who already have enough.
“In Africa and around the world, progress isn’t coming fast enough and economic growth can’t just be for the lucky few at the top, it’s got to be broad-based, for everybody, and a good place to start is in the agricultural sector,” Obama said.
“So even as the world responds with food aid in a crisis -- as we’ve done in the Horn of Africa -- communities can’t go back just to the way things were, vulnerable as before, waiting for the next crisis to happen. Development has to be sustainable, and as an international community, we have to do better,” he added.
Obama presented a plan he said would help African countries be more self-sufficient. He pointed out that three years earlier, the G8 established a $22 billion package for global food security.
“On the other hand, we see an Africa that still faces huge hurdles, stark inequalities; most Africans still living on less than $2 a day; climate change that increases the risk of drought and famine,” Obama said. “All of which perpetuates stubborn barriers in agriculture, in the agricultural sector -- from bottlenecks in infrastructure that prevent food from getting to market, to the lack of credit, especially for small farmers, most of whom are women.”
He said under the new alliance, the United States will continue food and emergency aid to Africa, under the plan, but “challenges” more nations, companies and non-governmental organizations to take action and G8 countries to honor commitments.
He announced 45 companies “from major international corporations to African companies and cooperatives” pledged to invest more than $3 billion for the effort. The plan also calls for exploiting mobile phone and satellite imagery for weather forecasts and market prices to be in the hands of farmers. The World Bank will also weigh in on rising food prices. Lastly, the plan focuses on nutrition.
“When there is good nutrition, especially in those thousand days during pregnancy up to the child’s second birthday, it means healthier lives for that child and that mother,” Obama said. “And it’s the smart thing to do because better nutrition means lower health care costs and it means less need for assistance later on.”
How much of his own money has Obama sent to his poor struggling family members in Kenya??Does his uncle still live in a mud hut?
Steve Jobs - lucky
Jerry Seinfeld - lucky
Tiger Woods - lucky
Warren Buffet - lucky
These guys don't deserve their money! The government should just take it and give it to government union pension funds that are more deserving!
The multi millionaire Obama as usual wants to use American taxpayers money to help his poor relatives back in his home country of Kenya.
Africa was exporting food when white farmers farmed. The black disposessed the whites, murdering and burning them and their posessions. Now they are hungry. Tough.
Africa is not an exporter of food because of economic conditions.
it is because of political conditions that are not changing.
It has always been that way and unless there is a change towards capitalism, it will remain the same as it has been for the past 50 years as well.
We have a president who does not understand this and wants to implement the same plan here.
“Some are more equal than others.” - George Orwell - Animal Farm.
Billions. It's just more efficient for him to give our money away than his own personal funds, which are more limited.
My first thoughts as well.
Well, well, well. Such a collection of Agenda 21 phrases and Lib cliches. And the reason that poor Africa is poor is the Wealthy nations? Marxist leadership like Robert Mugabee deserves none of the blame? Obozo is still working on how to make the US as crippled in Agriculture as Africa. Vermin.
What a pompous condescending hypocrite.
Any charitable donations to that hungry kenyan village? (Crickets)
Maybe Moochelle should go teach the in-law clan (and the outlaw clan) to grow veggies and send them some white house honey
(crickets)
Rush Limbaugh pointed out on his show that $100 would change the life of Obama’s half brother who lives in a mud hut.
The lucky FEW, are the ones who went to school, avoided drugs, crime, stayed married,....and worked real hard. The harder you work, the luckier you get.
Rush should send that $100 to the half brother,that would make Obama look like a total ass.
Just once, I’d love to see SOMEBODY (anybody) pop up in an audience and just shout “SHUT your effin PIEHOLE, ya Kenyan douchebag!”
Yes, there is a reason. The UN have an answer for everything.
@WHY HAS AFRICA BECOME A NET FOOD IMPORTER?
And remember, boys and girls...
In this publication, agriculture is regarded as the production of food and goods through farming. Unless otherwise stated, agricultural products in this report exclude forestry, fishing, and fibres or wool. Food products in this report include semiprocessed and processed food (cheeses, butter, frozen vegetables, flour, juices, etc). More details are found in Annex 1.
The president’s 2011 federal income tax return shows that about half of the first family’s income is the president’s salary and the rest comes from his books.
Obama’s tax return showed charitable donations of more than $172,000. Obama is donating after-tax proceeds from his children’s book to the Fisher House Foundation. The charity helps veterans and military families receiving medical treatment.
Exactly.
“Gee, what was different in Africa 50 years ago?”
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