The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed T.D., announced that international development aid expenditure for his Department for this year will exceed €28.5 million.
Minister Creed stated, “More than 800 million people in the world suffer from severe levels of food insecurity. My Department leads Ireland’s cooperation with the UN’s leading food agencies the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation(FAO) in their work towards the Sustainable Development Goal of Zero Hunger by 2030”.
The payments include a total contribution of €25.3 million to WFP, under a three-year strategic partnership agreement from 2019 to 2021. WFP Executive Director, Mr David Beasley, thanked Ireland for its continued support,
“The World Food Programme is grateful to Ireland for its flexible funding contributions, which allow us to reach some of the most vulnerable people in the world. WFP enjoys a strong partnership with Ireland, and we look forward to continuing our work together to combat global hunger and deliver the sustainable development goals.”
Minister Creed also announced payments of €1.1 million for specific FAO projects, in addition to Ireland’s annual contribution of €1.4 million. These specific projects have a strong focus on climate change & agriculture projects, agri-food innovation, a project on rural women’s economic empowerment and work on sustainable food systems.
Payments of €1.3 million under the Africa Agri-food Development Programme (AADP), which is operated by DAFM in cooperation with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, were also made.
The Minister said, “In a global context Ireland has a long record of leadership on development issues. We have contributed to development policies and targets at the UN, and with our partner countries throughout Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. This reflects on our background as a people. I know that the Irish farming community in particular feels a deep empathy with the challenges faced by farmers in developing countries.
"UN workers operate in very challenging conditions around the Globe. In making this year’s contributions, we remember especially those colleagues from FAO and WFP who lost their lives in the Ethiopian Airlines crash in March this year. I am particularly mindful of the friends and families of Micheál Ryan, and Joanna Toole who face a difficult Christmas without these two incredible souls in this World. We pay tribute to Micheál, Joanna and their colleagues by continuing to support their work" Minister Creed concluded. ■