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
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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
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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
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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


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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
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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