GHANA'S CAADP COMPACT SUPPORTS U.S. FOOD SECURITY GOALS

UNCLAS ACCRA 001164 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EEB/TPP/MTAA/ABT: ANN RYAN, MARISSA PLOWDEN; IO: ROBERT HAGEN, JOHN TUMINARO; AF: MARY JOHNSON PASS TO MCC FOR KRISTEN PENN; PASS TO USDA FOR RAJIV SHAH E.O. 12958:N/A TAGS: ECON EAGR EAID KMCA GH SUBJECT: GHANA'S CAADP COMPACT SUPPORTS U.S. FOOD SECURITY GOALS REF: SECSTATE 107298 ¶1. Summary and Comment: The Government of Ghana outlined its commitments to agricultural growth and poverty reduction policies in a two-day roundtable to advance NEPAD's Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP) and the G8 L'Aquila Summit five point declaration. Commitments by the GOG, development partners, and the private sector are codified in the Ghana CAADP Compact, which was ratified at the gathering. Ghana seeks to play a leadership role in sub-Saharan Africa on food security through enacting CAADP and is firmly supportive of USG global hunger and food security goals and initiatives, including the Secretary's vision (REFTEL) and L'Aquila. Inclusion of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning in the roundtable and compact creates greater pressure for the GOG to actually fund its stated commitments, in contrast to past efforts to reform the agricultural sector. CAADP provides a platform for the GOG to serve as a stronger USG regional partner on global hunger and food security. End Summary and Comment. ¶2. During the week of October 26, 2009, the Government of Ghana hosted a two-day Roundtable Conference on the Medium Term Agriculture Sector Investment Plan for advancement of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), which originates from the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD). USAID and MCC officials participating in the CAADP meetings report that the meetings and discussions were successful, leading Ghana and NEPAD toward substantive progress toward implementing the five key points from L'Aquila. ¶3. In his opening remarks to the CAADP Roundtable, the Minister of Food and Agriculture quoted from the letter Post provided from the U.S. Secretary of State (REFTEL). CAADP's third pillar specifically focuses on 'food supply and hunger.' In parallel, the Secretary's strategy also specifically recognizes the relevance of the CAADP framework for Africa for accomplishing the USG's Global Hunger and Food Security Initiative. GHANA'S CAADP ROUNDTABLE -------------- ¶4. CAADP organizes agriculture sector priorities in four pillars: land and water management, market access, food supply and hunger, and agricultural research. Comment: By enacting CAADP locally at an early stage, the GOG highlighted its leadership role in food security initiatives in sub-Saharan Africa. End Comment. The Roundtable focused on three key objectives: ¶A. Assessment of Ghana's performance and progress in terms of achieving the growth and poverty reduction targets under the CAADP and Food and Agriculture Sector Development Policy (FASDEP) agenda. In particular, the review focused on the FASDEP and Agriculture Sector Investment Plan package and the possible long term growth and poverty outcomes in Ghana in the context of CAADP and Millennium Development Goal 1 (Eradication of extreme poverty and hunger). This review enabled a shared understanding of the broader strategic framework that should guide ongoing and future efforts under the FASDEP and its implementation document, the Agriculture Sector Investment Plan. ¶B. Key participants at the Roundtable endorsed the Ghana CAADP Compact, which is a consensus document specifying commitments by the GOG, the private sector, development partners, and other key stakeholders in terms of actions to be taken for implementation of the FASDEP agenda. These include sector policy and budgetary commitments (on the part of the GOG),investment and development assistance commitments, and policy dialogue. The Compact will guide: (i) country policy and investment responses to meet the Maputo Pledge, including achievement of a 6 percent agriculture sector growth rate; (ii) long-term planning of development assistance to support country efforts; and (iii) public-private partnerships and business-to-business alliances for increasing investment in both farming and related agribusinesses. ¶C. Established institutional arrangements for the coordination and review of implementation progress and performance on Compact-specified actions and commitments. The dialogue and review mechanisms are to be aligned with national processes to the extent possible. The review process is meant to cover program strategies and knowledge management systems, to facilitate effective policy planning and implementation in the agriculture sector. ¶5. Ghana's CAADP Compact and FASDEP program are substantial achievements, accomplished with the support of Ghana's development partners, including USAID and MCC. These efforts correspond with the G8 L'Aquila Summit 'five point' approach to food security, as outlined below. I: Investing in Country-Led Plans -------------- ¶6. The CAADP implementation process has sought to add value to the ongoing FASDEP-initiated agenda and processes established as part of the GOG's National Medium and Long Term Development Plans. It provides a longer-term strategic framework for the implementation of specific investment programs in the agriculture sector. For the period 2009-20l5, the following six programs represent Ghana's priorities: - Food security and emergency preparedness; - Improved growth in incomes and reduced income variability; - Increased competitiveness and enhanced integration into domestic and international markets; - Sustainable management of land and environment; - Science and technology applied in food and agriculture development; - Enhanced institutional coordination. II: Supporting a Comprehensive Approach -------------- ¶7. The program for enhancing food security and emergency preparedness will increase productivity and total production and improve food distribution to vulnerable groups and enhance nutrition. The nutrition aspect of food security will also be promoted through research, education and advocacy on choice of foods, and improving food-handling practices. ¶8. Groups most vulnerable to food insecurity will also be supported with income diversification opportunities to enable them cope better with adverse food supply situations and production risk and enhance their incomes for better access to food. Other GOG priorities include the following: - Productivity improvement; - Support for improved nutrition; - Support for diversification of livelihood options of the poor with off-farm activities linked to agriculture; - Food storage and distribution; - Early Warning Systems and emergency preparedness; - Irrigation and water management; - Mechanization services. III: Strengthening Strategic Coordination -------------- ¶9. The meeting established a CAADP plan on collaboration for implementation of the medium-term sector investment plan. The plan maps the relationship between the higher order CAADP pillars and the GOG's FASDEP objectives. The CAADP Compact reinforces the GOG's central role in developing medium term agriculture sector investment plans and coordinating ongoing interventions and programs within all of government and with stakeholders (i.e. Ghanaian producers, development partners, private sector, etc.) IV: Leveraging Multilateral Institutions -------------- ¶10. Through the CAADP Compact, development partners (i.e. donors) have outlined their commitment to Ghana's efforts for agriculture sector development. The Compact embodies a set of mutual commitments by Government, development partners, the private sector and civil society to work together in achieving the sector objectives set out in Ghana's national agriculture policy (FASDEP). As outlined in the CAADP Compact, the development partners commit to harmonizing and aligning their assistance with the programs and components of the GOG's Agriculture Sector Plan (2009-2015). Note: Specific financial commitments from development partners will be taken up a later stage. End Note. V: Making Sustained and Accountable Commitments -------------- -- ¶11. The signatories to the CAADP Compact (including development partners and the GOG) acknowledge the Agriculture Sector Working Group as one of the major platforms from which to monitor, review, and discuss progress in the implementation of the Agriculture Sector Plan. This working group is also a venue for discussing the allocation of funding (including bilateral and multilateral assistance) within the sector, and to assess the effectiveness and impact of externally-funded agricultural programs. COMMENT: NEW ALCHEMY FOR CHANGING RHETORIC INTO ACTION -------------- -------------- ¶12. Substantive progress in advancement of food security goals is underway in Ghana, evidenced by the GOG's active participation and leadership within CAADP. The CAADP Compact's new wrinkle places Ghana's Minister of Finance and Economic Planning in the position of obligating the GOG to fully resource its policy commitments to agriculture sector development. This is a significant for Ghana since MOFA, for the first time, is in a leadership position to advance agriculture -- not by itself -- but with the whole government, which is obligated to work together with the rest of the nation (including traditional authorities, civil society representatives, and local communities). ¶13. The GOG's commitment to support the USG's goals and initiatives at the upcoming November food security conference in Rome appears earnest. (Reported SEPTEL.) The combination of domestic political will, multilateral support, and the new CAADP Compact provides a platform for Ghana to fulfill its potential as a USG regional partner on global hunger and food security. TEITELBAUM