COUNSELOR MILLS DISCUSSES NEXT STEPS IN GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 UN ROME 000020 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR C, IO/HS, EEB/IFD/ODA USAID FOR DCHA, LAC, EGAT, AFR USDA FOR BPHILBROOK, ATUTWILER, PSHEIKH, GDOUVELIS TREASURY FOR LMORRIS AND PGANDHI NSC FOR GSMITH AND CPRATT E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: FAO IFAD WFP UN EAID EAGR PREL HA SUBJECT: COUNSELOR MILLS DISCUSSES NEXT STEPS IN GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY ON MARGINS OF ROME MEETING ON SUPPORTING HAITIAN AGRICULTURE REF: UN ROME 19 ¶1. (U) This message is sensitive but unclassified. Not for dissemination outside the U.S. Government. Summary -------------- ¶2. (SBU) On February 12, Cheryl Mills, Secretary Clinton's Chief of Staff and Counselor, discussed next steps on food security issues with key interlocutors on the margins of the `Supporting a Haitian-led Food Security Program' event held at the World Food Program (reftel). During a meeting with Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Director General Jacques Diouf, Mills encouraged Diouf to help develop five to seven country strategy plans, similar to those of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP),in advance of the June G8 summit. In a meeting with International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) President Kanayo Nwanze, Mills signaled continued U.S. strong support for IFAD. Canadian Ambassador James Fox told Mills that Canada plans to use the G8 to emphasize donor accountability as well as maternal and child nutrition. Lastly, Milton Rondo, Brazil's food security lead, described the important role Brazil's school feeding program played in improving food security within Brazil and maintained it could serve as a model in other developing countries. END SUMMARY FAO Support for Developing Country Strategies -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Counselor Mills complimented Diouf on the FAO's work in Rwanda where it had provided important technical knowledge support in the development of Rwanda's CAADP plan. She said that by the time of the G8 summit in June, the U.S. would like five to seven other countries, including Haiti, to have similar national plans with policy meetings in the countries themselves, as had been done in Rwanda. Diouf noted that the head of FAO's Investment Center, Chuck Riemenschneider, would be going to Haiti on February 14 and, as a result of their conversation, would ask him to develop a CAADP-like plan for Haiti. Mills and Diouf agreed that FAO could usefully develop similar country programs in Ghana, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Togo, Liberia and Bangladesh. ¶4. (SBU) Counselor Mills said the USG was encouraged by FAO's reform agenda as well as the technical work performed by the organization. She asked if FAO could serve as a repository of best practices as well as measures to gauge progress for common platforms. Diouf responded that was "exactly the direction of the reform" taking place in FAO which has established two networks to this end: a) "knowledge networks" focused on sectoral issues; and b) a "best practices network" which includes, for example, experiences in rice production and various types of irrigation pumps. Diouf also said he was focusing on impact assessment and noted that the Initiative against Soaring Food Prices (ISFP, which the U.S. supported in Afghanistan) led to an EU contribution of $285 million (with total contributions from all countries of $440 million) that is being used mainly for food, fertilizer and other inputs. IFAD -------------- ¶5. (SBU) During a brief meeting with IFAD President Kanayo Nwanze, Mills thanked Nwanze for his and IFAD's leadership in agriculture development and food security. She said that, as the Multi-Donor Trust Fund (MDTF) provides resources for food security, the U.S. would be looking to IFAD for implementation and expertise. Mills also told Nwanze that the U.S. expects the MDTF to be operational by June with several projects identified. Canadians to Emphasize Food Security at G8 Summit UN ROME 00000020 002 OF 002 -------------- - ¶6. (SBU) In a meeting with Canadian Ambassador James Fox, Mills asked whether the Canadians had plans for food security in their role as hosts of the G8 summit in June 2010. Fox replied that Canada would emphasize donor accountability and maternal and child nutrition. In an effort to get donors to deliver on their commitments, Canada will focus on a donor accountability tracking exercise similar to the OECD format. Fox said that Canada has concerns about which assistance should qualify as food security funding. Mills and Fox agreed that broad criteria would diffuse responsibility and that emergency aid should not qualify as food security pledges by the G8. Fox reported that Canada's own accountability tracking document is ready but that Canada is waiting for other countries to submit theirs. Mills responded that the U.S. had not yet sent its tracking document but that it would be able do so in the near future. In regard to nutrition, Fox said that Canada has continued to work with WFP and the UN's Standing Committee on Nutrition. ¶7. (SBU) Fox told Mills that Canada's public commitment to doubling official development assistance (from 2001-2002 levels) will positively impact its contributions to food security. Canada plans to contribute $230 million for the MDTF and will also double its contribution to IFAD, resulting in an additional $37 million. Bilaterally, Canada will give an additional $260 million to 20 countries, including Ghana, Ethiopia, Mozambique and Mali. Some additional funding will also go to research in agricultural development, including through the International Development Research Centre (IDRC). Brazil Emphasizes Importance of School Feeding Programs -------------- -- ¶8. (SBU) Milton Rondo, Brazil's Coordinator-General of International Actions in the Fight Against Hunger in the Ministry of Foreign Relations, told Counselor Mills of the important role school feeding programs have played in addressing food insecurity in Brazil. Brazil requires schools to purchase a third of their food from household gardens or local markets and an additional third from disadvantaged farmers. He maintained that this arrangement creates markets for local products and provides farmers who have little market power access to formalized market structures. As a result, all children in Brazil, regardless of income, have access to free lunches. Rondo explained that Brazil has been promoting this model for school lunches in Latin America and other developing countries, including the Lusophone countries in Africa. Rondo expressed interest in cooperating with the United States to implement this type of school feeding program model as part of the global food security initiative. ¶9. (U) Counselor Mills cleared this cable. COUSIN