VZCZCXRO2916
PP RUEHIK
DE RUEHRL #1513 3341612
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 301612Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY BERLIN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5919
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNFRG/FRG COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHLGB/AMEMBASSY KIGALI PRIORITY 0034
RUEHDF/AMCONSUL DUSSELDORF PRIORITY 0255
RUEHFT/AMCONSUL FRANKFURT PRIORITY 8330
RUEHAG/AMCONSUL HAMBURG PRIORITY 0343
RUEHLZ/AMCONSUL LEIPZIG PRIORITY 0250
RUEHMZ/AMCONSUL MUNICH PRIORITY 2216
RUEHRN/USMISSION UN ROME PRIORITY
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE USD FAS WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY 0189

UNCLAS BERLIN 001513 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR EEB/TPP (CLEMENTS, RYAN, LURIE), OFFICE OF THE 
COUNSELOR (PLOWDEN), IO/HS (HAGEN, TUMINARO), EUR/CE 
(SCHROEDER) 
USDA FOR FAS OFSO (YOUNG), ONA (DOUVELLIS), OCRA (SALMON, 
NENON), FODAG (HEINEN) 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR ECON EAID ETRD
SUBJECT: GERMANY CONFIRMS $3 BILLION PLEDGE FOR FOOD 
SECURITY 
 
REF: SECSTATE 120804 
 
¶1. (SBU) In separate interactions with officials at the 
German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) 
and Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection 
(BMELV), Embassy reinforced the importance the U.S. and other 
partners place on putting the L'Aquila food security 
principles into action, including by ensuring accountability 
in tracking donor resources and pursuing a coordinated 
approach to country-led food security plans, as per reftel. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Christophe Eichen of BMZ's Agriculture Division 
confirmed that Germany planned to contribute $3 billion in 
support of food security initiatives over three years, 
2010-2012.  He cautioned, however, that approval by Germany's 
parliament ("Bundestag") was still needed.  When pressed on 
details such as regional priorities, funding mechanisms, 
timing, and whether the pledge represented purely "new" 
money, however, Eichen told Econoff he could not provide 
specifics.  The German delegation hopes to provide more 
clarity at the December 3-4 G-8 technical meeting in Rome, he 
explained, where Steffen Schmidt, Head of BMZ's Rural 
Development and Global Food Security Unit, would represent 
BMZ.  Ms. Heike Henn of the German Embassy in Kigali will 
attend the December 7-8 meeting in Rwanda. 
 
¶3. (SBU) According to Niklas Schulze Icking, Deputy Head of 
the International Food and Agriculture Organizations, World 
Food Affairs, and Sustainable Development Office, BMELV, Ms. 
Astrid Jakobs de Padua (Head of the same office), will 
represent BMELV in Rome.  No one from BMELV, however, is 
expected to attend the December 7-8 meetings in Rwanda. 
Niklas stated that BMELV does not engage in direct bilateral 
food assistance negotiations, but coordinates its 
agricultural funding programs through a special trust fund 
managed through its Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) 
office in Rome.  Regarding its overall L,Aquila commitments, 
Niklas said Germany expects to abide by its pledge of $3 
billion over 3 years, with an estimated $600 million going to 
agricultural development-related activities. 
MURPHY