Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 20 May 2010
4 Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the discussions he has had with his US counterparts and officials regarding the coordination of the Irish Aid Budget with US aid programmes on the issue of food security; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21128/10]
Amharc ar fhreagraEradicating global hunger is a foreign policy priority for both the Irish and US governments. It is appropriate that we collaborate and bring our combined expertise to bear in working towards our shared objective. In Ireland, arising from the hunger task force report, we have made the eradication of hunger a cornerstone of our aid programme. We recognise that feeding a global population, expected to surpass 9 billion by 2050, in a world where climate change is having a dramatic impact on our capacity to produce food, will be one of the biggest global challenges of this century. For the first time ever, more than 1 billion people, which is one sixth of all humanity, are now hungry. This is unacceptable and Ireland and the US agree that concerted action is essential to eliminate global hunger. The Minister, Deputy Micheál Martin, and I have had many discussions with our US counterparts on how we can co-operate optimally to ensure that food, the most basic of all human needs, is available and easily accessed by all. Most recently, last month in Washington, I met with Secretary of State Clinton's chief of staff to discuss the issue.
Next September, Ireland and the United States will co-host a major event on hunger and under-nutrition at the UN Summit on the Millennium Development Goals. This event will bring together world leaders to highlight the importance of agriculture in reducing hunger, and improving nutrition in the households of the world's poorest and most vulnerable. Our objective is to focus political attention and galvanize action around realising MDG 1, which is to halve the numbers living in hunger and poverty by 2015.
We are co-operating with the United States across the food security agenda. We recently signed a three-year partnership with the United States to co-operate on combating hunger in Malawi, prioritising support to small-holder farmers, efforts to increase soil fertility and measures to adapt to climate change. Malawi is an excellent example of a country where enlightened national policies have dramatically reduced hunger levels.
In addition, Ireland and the United States have indicated a readiness to collaborate in other sub-Saharan states on practical country-owned and country-led hunger reduction programmes. Both countries agree that without a more effective agriculture sector and stronger governance mechanisms, many developing countries will struggle to increase agricultural production to feed their rapidly growing populations.
Additional information not given on the floor of the House.
Intensifying small-holder agricultural production in order to improve nutritional status is key to improving the livelihoods of the hungry and poor in marginalised areas, and is an important component of sustainable and equitable economic development.
Ireland and the US will co-operate further in addressing food insecurity and promoting agricultural development under the new EU-US road-map for co-operation. Joint action has been agreed on country-led food security plans, in the implementation of regional agricultural programmes and, at global level, in regard to the implementation of the reforms of the Committee on World Food Security and of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research.
Both countries have prioritised the strengthening of country-led initiatives to address food insecurity and we are active supporters of the comprehensive Africa agriculture development programme, an African-owned and African-led initiative working to achieve better economic growth through agricultural-led development. These practical examples of excellent co-ordination and co-operation between Ireland and the US in tackling global hunger and food insecurity demonstrate an effective working relationship between our two countries.
Together, Ireland and the US are strong advocates on food security and a powerful voice for the poor. Both governments are working together in the food and nutrition security areas, and are undertaking strong and co-ordinated leadership action to shape and influence the international response to the scandal of world hunger.
I tabled this question because last Thursday I, along with Deputies Higgins and Timmins, met with the US ambassador and his officials. At that meeting we discussed food security, the co-ordination between Ireland and the US, and the work of the Department of Foreign Affairs in this regard. We had a lengthy discussion on the benefits of possibly co-ordinating our efforts. The Minister of State has answered the question, specifically on the three-year partnership in Malawi. As he said, there is a readiness to collaborate on other issues in sub-Saharan Africa. Can the Minister of State indicate the benefits that would arise from such collaboration? I presume that we will take on any productive collaboration with the US if it means getting better value for Irish Aid's expenditure. Will the Minister of State tell us specifically about the kind of co-ordination and collaboration he is talking about?
I am excited about the developing relationship on this issue between the United States and Ireland, which involves the US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton. Both countries are very complementary in this area. The United States is a major donor, while Ireland is a relatively small one, although we have a history of hunger lack of food security through the Great Famine. This is a great opportunity to link a relatively small programme with a huge programme to achieve real results on the ground. We have two winning partners with real synergies involved. It complements the hunger task force's recommendation to advocate internationally and bring on board global donors, thus bringing their efforts to bear on the food security and hunger initiatives. By collaborating with the US and bringing it on board with the hunger agenda, it means that those who need and deserve that help, in sub-Saharan Africa especially, will get it from a major donor.
In Malawi, we will be battling climate change in so far as it affects agricultural production, with a special focus on water irrigation projects. Those matters are very important for small-holder farmers in Malawi. The US already has a great partnership with Malawi. In combining our efforts in such projects, we are giving action to tackle hunger the absolute priority it deserves. In addition, we are demonstrating to the international community that because big donors and global leaders such as the US, with all the influence they can bring to bear on the world stage, are taking hunger and food security seriously, others should do so as well.
USAID's mission statement is similar to that of the hunger task force, as are recent comments by President Obama and the US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton. Apart from the three-year partnership for Malawi, it is a significant step for the Irish Aid programme and our overall overseas aid budget that we are seeking to co-ordinate our efforts with USAID on food security issues. As I understand it, the US aid body is the largest food donor in the world, contributing almost half the global figure in dollars. Is it the case that Ireland is now beginning to co-ordinate with USAID in our programme countries throughout Africa?
That is correct. USAID now has a real focus on food security and hunger. By holding this political event on the margins of the Millennium Development Review conference in September, and inviting all the major players — including countries, multilateral organisations the largest NGOs — we will be telling the UN that hunger and food security must be at the top of the conference agenda. It will allow a small country such as ours, with a real focus and interest in this area, to use or international reputation to ensure that other countries come on board also. That is where the collaboration and synergies will really bear fruit for people on the ground.
