VZCZCXYZ0008
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHAR #1164/01 3101104
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 061104Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY ACCRA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 8438

UNCLAS ACCRA 001164 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EEB/TPP/MTAA/ABT: ANN RYAN, MARISSA PLOWDEN; IO: ROBERT 
HAGEN, JOHN TUMINARO; AF: MARY JOHNSON 
PASS TO MCC FOR KRISTEN PENN; PASS TO USDA FOR RAJIV SHAH 
 
E.O. 12958:N/A 
TAGS: ECON EAGR EAID KMCA GH
SUBJECT: GHANA'S CAADP COMPACT SUPPORTS U.S. FOOD SECURITY GOALS 
 
REF: SECSTATE 107298 
 
¶1. Summary and Comment: The Government of Ghana outlined its 
commitments to agricultural growth and poverty reduction policies in 
a two-day roundtable to advance NEPAD's Comprehensive Africa 
Agriculture Development Program (CAADP) and the G8 L'Aquila Summit 
five point declaration.  Commitments by the GOG, development 
partners, and the private sector are codified in the Ghana CAADP 
Compact, which was ratified at the gathering.  Ghana seeks to play a 
leadership role in sub-Saharan Africa on food security through 
enacting CAADP and is firmly supportive of USG global hunger and 
food security goals and initiatives, including the Secretary's 
vision (REFTEL) and L'Aquila.  Inclusion of the Ministry of Finance 
and Economic Planning in the roundtable and compact creates greater 
pressure for the GOG to actually fund its stated commitments, in 
contrast to past efforts to reform the agricultural sector.  CAADP 
provides a platform for the GOG to serve as a stronger USG regional 
partner on global hunger and food security.  End Summary and 
Comment. 
 
¶2. During the week of October 26, 2009, the Government of Ghana 
hosted a two-day Roundtable Conference on the Medium Term 
Agriculture Sector Investment Plan for advancement of the 
Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), 
which originates from the New Partnership for Africa's Development 
(NEPAD).  USAID and MCC officials participating in the CAADP 
meetings report that the meetings and discussions were successful, 
leading Ghana and NEPAD toward substantive progress toward 
implementing the five key points from L'Aquila. 
 
¶3. In his opening remarks to the CAADP Roundtable, the Minister of 
Food and Agriculture quoted from the letter Post provided from the 
U.S. Secretary of State (REFTEL).  CAADP's third pillar specifically 
focuses on 'food supply and hunger.'  In parallel, the Secretary's 
strategy also specifically recognizes the relevance of the CAADP 
framework for Africa for accomplishing the USG's Global Hunger and 
Food Security Initiative. 
 
 
GHANA'S CAADP ROUNDTABLE 
------------------------ 
 
¶4. CAADP organizes agriculture sector priorities in four pillars: 
land and water management, market access, food supply and hunger, 
and agricultural research.  Comment: By enacting CAADP locally at an 
early stage, the GOG highlighted its leadership role in food 
security initiatives in sub-Saharan Africa.  End Comment. 
 
The Roundtable focused on three key objectives: 
 
¶A. Assessment of Ghana's performance and progress in terms of 
achieving the growth and poverty reduction targets under the CAADP 
and Food and Agriculture Sector Development Policy (FASDEP) agenda. 
In particular, the review focused on the FASDEP and Agriculture 
Sector Investment Plan package and the possible long term growth and 
poverty outcomes in Ghana in the context of CAADP and Millennium 
Development Goal 1 (Eradication of extreme poverty and hunger). 
This review enabled a shared understanding of the broader strategic 
framework that should guide ongoing and future efforts under the 
FASDEP and its implementation document, the Agriculture Sector 
Investment Plan. 
 
¶B. Key participants at the Roundtable endorsed the Ghana CAADP 
Compact, which is a consensus document specifying commitments by the 
GOG, the private sector, development partners, and other key 
stakeholders in terms of actions to be taken for implementation of 
the FASDEP agenda.  These include sector policy and budgetary 
commitments (on the part of the GOG), investment and development 
assistance commitments, and policy dialogue.  The Compact will 
guide: (i) country policy and investment responses to meet the 
Maputo Pledge, including achievement of a 6 percent agriculture 
sector growth rate; (ii) long-term planning of development 
assistance to support country efforts; and (iii) public-private 
partnerships and business-to-business alliances for increasing 
investment in both farming and related agribusinesses. 
 
¶C. Established institutional arrangements for the coordination and 
review of implementation progress and performance on 
Compact-specified actions and commitments.  The dialogue and review 
mechanisms are to be aligned with national processes to the extent 
possible.  The review process is meant to cover program strategies 
and knowledge management systems, to facilitate effective policy 
planning and implementation in the agriculture sector. 
 
¶5. Ghana's CAADP Compact and FASDEP program are substantial 
achievements, accomplished with the support of Ghana's development 
partners, including USAID and MCC.  These efforts correspond with 
the G8 L'Aquila Summit 'five point' approach to food security, as 
outlined below. 
I: Investing in Country-Led Plans 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶6. The CAADP implementation process has sought to add value to the 
ongoing FASDEP-initiated agenda and processes established as part of 
the GOG's National Medium and Long Term Development Plans.  It 
provides a longer-term strategic framework for the implementation of 
specific investment programs in the agriculture sector. For the 
period 2009-20l5, the following six programs represent Ghana's 
priorities: 
- Food security and emergency preparedness; 
- Improved growth in incomes and reduced income variability; 
- Increased competitiveness and enhanced integration into domestic 
and international markets; 
- Sustainable management of land and environment; 
- Science and technology applied in food and agriculture 
development; 
- Enhanced institutional coordination. 
 
 
II: Supporting a Comprehensive Approach 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶7. The program for enhancing food security and emergency 
preparedness will increase productivity and total production and 
improve food distribution to vulnerable groups and enhance 
nutrition. The nutrition aspect of food security will also be 
promoted through research, education and advocacy on choice of 
foods, and improving food-handling practices. 
 
¶8. Groups most vulnerable to food insecurity will also be supported 
with income diversification opportunities to enable them cope better 
with adverse food supply situations and production risk and enhance 
their incomes for better access to food. Other GOG priorities 
include the following: 
- Productivity improvement; 
- Support for improved nutrition; 
- Support for diversification of livelihood options of the poor with 
off-farm activities linked to agriculture; 
- Food storage and distribution; 
- Early Warning Systems and emergency preparedness; 
- Irrigation and water management; 
- Mechanization services. 
 
III: Strengthening Strategic Coordination 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶9. The meeting established a CAADP plan on collaboration for 
implementation of the medium-term sector investment plan.  The plan 
maps the relationship between the higher order CAADP pillars and the 
GOG's FASDEP objectives.  The CAADP Compact reinforces the GOG's 
central role in developing medium term agriculture sector investment 
plans and coordinating ongoing interventions and programs within all 
of government and with stakeholders (i.e. Ghanaian producers, 
development partners, private sector, 
etc.) 
 
IV: Leveraging Multilateral Institutions 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶10. Through the CAADP Compact, development partners (i.e. donors) 
have outlined their commitment to Ghana's efforts for agriculture 
sector development.  The Compact embodies a set of mutual 
commitments by Government, development partners, the private sector 
and civil society to work together in achieving the sector 
objectives set out in Ghana's national agriculture policy (FASDEP). 
As outlined in the CAADP Compact, the development partners commit to 
harmonizing and aligning their assistance with the programs and 
components of the GOG's Agriculture Sector Plan (2009-2015).  Note: 
Specific financial commitments from development partners will be 
taken up a later stage.  End Note. 
 
V: Making Sustained and Accountable Commitments 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶11. The signatories to the CAADP Compact (including development 
partners and the GOG) acknowledge the Agriculture Sector Working 
Group as one of the major platforms from which to monitor, review, 
and discuss progress in the implementation of the Agriculture Sector 
Plan.  This working group is also a venue for discussing the 
allocation of funding (including bilateral and multilateral 
assistance) within the sector, and to assess the effectiveness and 
impact of externally-funded agricultural programs. 
 
COMMENT: NEW ALCHEMY FOR CHANGING RHETORIC INTO ACTION 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
¶12. Substantive progress in advancement of food security goals is 
underway in Ghana, evidenced by the GOG's active participation and 
leadership within CAADP.  The CAADP Compact's new wrinkle places 
Ghana's Minister of Finance and Economic Planning in the position of 
obligating the GOG to fully resource its policy commitments to 
agriculture sector development.  This is a significant for Ghana 
since MOFA, for the first time, is in a leadership position to 
advance agriculture -- not by itself -- but with the whole 
government, which is obligated to work together with the rest of the 
nation (including traditional authorities, civil society 
representatives, and local communities). 
 
¶13. The GOG's commitment to support the USG's goals and initiatives 
at the upcoming November food security conference in Rome appears 
earnest.  (Reported SEPTEL.)  The combination of domestic political 
will, multilateral support, and the new CAADP Compact provides a 
platform for Ghana to fulfill its potential as a USG regional 
partner on global hunger and food security. 
 
TEITELBAUM