Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 12 June 2013
73. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if Irish Aid reviewed Dóchas recently published Models of Agricultural Investment research paper; and if Irish Aid plans to implement any of the recommendations contained in this paper. [28211/13]
View answerI warmly welcome the report, “Models of Agricultural Investment”, published last November by Dóchas, the umbrella organisation for Irish development NGOs. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine contributed to the report’s formulation. The report concludes that the local context is a crucial determinant of the suitability of any agricultural investment model in the developing world. I strongly share the view that a differentiated approach is necessary in working with development partners, taking account of local conditions. Combating global hunger and under-nutrition is a key pillar of Ireland’s overseas development assistance programme, as re-confirmed in the Government’s new policy for international development, ‘One World, One Future’. Support for poor agricultural smallholders is a core element of our strategy, which is guided by the 2008 Hunger Task Force Report. This report highlighted in particular the need to support smallholder farmers in Africa, and in particular women farmers, to increase their productivity. Through our aid programme, Ireland supports international agricultural research for development, primarily through the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). Ireland advocates to ensure that CGIAR research programmes are climate-smart, gender-sensitive and nutrition-sensitive. We also support a range of smallholder support activities in our Key Partner Countries, and we prioritise the implementation of beneficial research outcomes.
The Dóchas report contains a number of recommendations. One is that evidence-based assessment is necessary for effective evaluation of the impact of work carried out by NGOs supported by the Government. I am in full agreement. Irish Aid funding decisions are based on a strong results-based management system. As a condition of funding, all NGO partners must set out clearly defined results and demonstrate strong monitoring and evaluation procedures to track those results.
The report also recommends support for the implementation of the UN Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land. As Presidency of the EU, Ireland worked to ensure that the guidelines were included in the new EU Food and Nutrition Security Implementation Plan which was adopted by EU Development Ministers at the Foreign Affairs Council on 28 May 2013.
I look forward to continuing dialogue with Dóchas on our approach to agriculture in the fight to end extreme hunger and poverty in the world.
