Cablegate: Global Hunger and Food Security Initiative: Diplomacy And

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P 130423Z JAN 10 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7393
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SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPT C FOR MARISA PLOWDEN
ALSO EBB/TPP/ABT FOR GARY CLEMENTS; GEOFFERY SPENCER
USAID FOR AFR/EA, AFR/SD, EGAT/AG, DCHA/FFP

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAGR EAID PREL ET
SUBJECT: Global Hunger and Food Security Initiative: Diplomacy and
Development Plan for Ethiopia

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Corps, and USDA. An expected outcome of the interagency retreat
will be the identification of an interagency coordinator for GHFSI.
Logically, this person would be the USAID Mission Director or Deputy
Mission Director, but details will be hammered out during the
retreat.

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Leverage Benefits of Multilaterals
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17. (U) Under GHFSI, the USG will engage more intensively with
multilateral institutions. Through this collaboration, donor
investments can be leveraged for maximum impact, while also aligning
with the GOE's agriculture development plans outlined in CAADP.
Already, the USG has been a major participant in the design of the
second phase of the multi-donor funded GOE Food Security Program
(FSP), which includes funding from the World Bank, USAID, EC, DFID,
Irish Aid and CIDA (Ref D). The three components of FSP include the
Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP), the Household Asset Building
Program (HABP) and the Complementary Community Investment (CCI)
Program. For PSNP, the USG is the largest donor, with resources
covering approximately one third of the 292 PSNP woredas
(districts). In the design of the HABP, the GOE replicated USAID's
PSNP Plus program, which assists PSNP beneficiaries to diversify
agricultural production, foster market linkages, and access
microfinance. To ensure strong implementation of HABP, the USG has
pledged financial and technical assistance to MOARD's Extension
Directorate in the rolling out of HABP. The USG's leadership in the
design of the second phase of the FSP serves as a model for future
multilateral food security response activities.

18. (U) Over the last several months, the USG has participated in
pre-design activities for the Agriculture Growth Program (AGP), a
GOE program that aims to accelerate growth in the agriculture sector
with a focus on neglected high potential areas. The program has
secured both multilateral and bilateral funding pledges from such
donors as the World Bank, CIDA, Netherlands and USAID. With the
majority of donor resources allocated for food security programs,
the AGP aims to boost funding for development activities in food
secure rain sufficient areas that are near to towns with populations
greater than 50,000. Major components of the program include
strengthening extension service provision and farmer organizations,
improving delivery of agriculture inputs, promoting
agribusiness/value chain activities and constructing of small-scale
irrigation infrastructure and rural feeder roads. Given its
extensive experience in value chain development, USAID expertise
will be drawn upon in the design of the AGP. The USG also expects
to provide technical assistance and investment around input supply,
livestock improvement programs and monitoring and evaluation
activities. If appropriate, the USG may request that resources from
the new World Bank administered Global Hunger and Food Security
Program be used for the AGP.

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Sustained and Accountable Commitment
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19. (SBU) The Ethiopian government and people dislike the
association the country has in many people's minds with hunger and
famine, and resent that the first thing many foreigners think of in
connection with Ethiopia is food insecurity. Given that previous
regimes have been brought down at least in part by widespread hunger
and starvation, the GOE is hyper-sensitive to negative food
insecurity statistics and reports, and any suggestion that it is not
handling drought conditions and humanitarian relief properly. Where
other governments may exaggerate hunger statistics to increase
assistance received, the GOE appears to underestimate need, such
that USG assessments do not always match those of Ethiopia. At the
same time, both international and domestic observers have suggested
that the GOE politicizes humanitarian assistance and food aid
through its control of assistance distribution.

20. (SBU) Given the sensitivity of the GOE and Ethiopian people to
the food security issue, post will ensure that positive efforts that
our countries are initiating in partnership to increase and improve
food security in Ethiopia are not overlooked. At the same time, we
will be alert to the issue of politicization of assistance, and
ensure that our public outreach conveys the importance the USG
places on transparency and accountability. Our political and
economic reporting will continue to examine allegations of the
politicization of foreign assistance, and will analyze the economic
as well as humanitarian impact of USG investments on agriculture
development in Ethiopia. We will use success stories to highlight

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