Speaking to students, farmers, and business leaders in Iowa at the beginning of the month, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reaffirmed America’s commitment to promote global food security and prosperity in the American agricultural sector. He explained that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the State Department “work hard to support American agriculture … so that you all can sell pork and beef, and Kansas can sell their wheat … all the things that America makes so wonderfully.”

An unusual coalition – from Secretaries of State, Commerce, Treasury, and Defense to the heads of America’s development agencies, from a Democratic Senator to a Freedom Caucus member, and from a National Security Advisor to leaders of private and public sector organizations including the World Bank, UNICEF, UPS, P&G, Deloitte, and Walmart – joined the President this week, committing America to promote women’s economic empowerment around the world.

The path forward in Venezuela remains uncertain since National Assembly President Juan Guaidó took the oath of office and declared himself the legitimate interim president of Venezuela. He was quickly recognized by the United States, Canada, and much of Central and Latin America, even as Russia, China, and Turkey warned they would continue to support President Maduro. While the Administration insists that no options are “off the table,” it has so far focused on a strong diplomatic and economic response to defend democratic values and encourage a peaceful transition of power. As the crisis unfolds, here are three critical issues to watch as the hunger and political crisis in Venezuela continues to spiral downward.

Each year, the World Economic Forum (WEF) draws leaders and luminaries from every corner of the globe and all spheres of influence, including government, business, civil society, academia and media, to Davos, Switzerland. Many high-profile presenters were in attendance at this week’s events, speaking on the theme of Globalization 4.0—both a nod to the increasingly digital, interconnected world and a call for heightened global cooperation in the face of rising nationalism.

And as 2018 draws to a close, we’re taking a look back at our top stories of the year. We’ve told stories of impact, showcased successes in global development, and explored some of the toughest issues in politics and foreign policy.

Just ahead of the Administration’s announcement of a new Africa strategy last week, Bill Gates joined in a conversation with Chris Wallace of Fox News Sunday at the Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C. to share his insights on a host of growing global challenges and the vital need for continued U.S. leadership around the world— particularly in Africa.

Cities across America lost the bid to house Amazon’s HQ2. Although they lost the bid many of these cities are saying perhaps they’re better off because they are now equipped to handle them. This step— creating infrastructure that supports business development— is vital to a city’s economic growth. Just as major metropolitan areas in the U.S. are investing in their infrastructure, on the other side of the world, cities throughout Sub-Saharan Africa are following suit—working to provide consistent access to the internet, establishing trading partners, and creating currency exchange programs.

In 2016, Abbott partnered with Prabhat, an Indian dairy company, and TechnoServe, an international nonprofit focused on business solutions in the developing world, to create a sustainable new approach for working together with small family farms. The dairy initiative provides rural dairy farmers with access to the training, resources and infrastructure needed to produce higher quality milk that meets industry standards.

Food insecurity hinders nearly every aspect of human life, subjecting undernourished populations to a range of physical and societal ills—including higher childhood mortality, stunted growth, susceptibility to disease, lack of economic opportunity, poor education, and victimization by radical movements. One thing is clear at this point in our planet’s history: It is absolutely critical to support international development efforts that can increase the world’s ability to achieve food security through sustainable agriculture.

Since 2010, Feed the Future has helped an estimated 23.4 million people escape poverty and has prevented 3.4 million children from suffering from the devastating and irreversible effects of stunting. Furthermore, the program helped unlock $3.3 billion in agricultural rural loans, enabling farmers to generate $10.5 billion in new agricultural sales from 2011 through 2017. This economic growth has also created new markets for American businesses.