Critics are wrong to suggest the Canadian government’s international development strategy is playing down the importance of agriculture and food, says Aileen Carroll, federal minister for international co-operation.
In late April when the government announced the results of a foreign policy review, the priorities for the Canadian International Development Agency were set as projects that deal with education, health, governance, private sector development and environmental sustainability.
Aid groups with agriculture and food ties quickly noted the absence of agriculture in the announcement.
“This really is a step backwards,” Stuart Clark, senior policy adviser to the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, said at the time. “It is odd, I don’t want to use the word perverse, to be downplaying food and agriculture in a development strategy.”
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But on May 16, Carroll said the critics had it wrong.
“Some of you may be concerned that CIDA’s focus on these priorities means the agency is somehow less committed to agriculture,” she told a food security conference. “I want to assure you this is not the case.”
She said a two-year-old commitment that made food and agriculture one of its main priorities,written when Susan Whelan was the CIDA minister, remains in effect.
“And yes, we are still funding projects and programs related to agriculture and food security,” said Carroll.
To make the point, she announced $20 million will be spent on two food projects in Vietnam and $13 million will flow from CIDA to a group that plans international agricultural research.
“Taken together, this represents more than $33 million for agriculture,” she said.
“Over the past four years, CIDA’s support for agriculture has been steadily rising from under $85 million in 2001-02 to nearly $180 million in the year just past.”
Carroll also acknowledged a point often made by aid groups Ñ that development goals such as health, education and environmental sustainability are helped when agriculture is strong and the rural poor in developing nations have enough to eat.
The CIDA minister also said she is part of the federal government ministers’ group that oversees strategy for World Trade Organization talks. A good WTO deal will be good for development goals, she said.
The minister said achieving the goals of increased market access, reduced domestic subsidies and elimination of export subsidies will help farmers around the world.
“We believe that developing countries will benefit from these measures,” said Carroll.
“Levelling the playing field is good for all of these players.”
However, she said she wants to be sure that developing countries have a longer period than rich countries before they have to open up their markets.
