VZCZCXRO0743
PP RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMA RUEHMR RUEHPA RUEHRN RUEHTRO
DE RUEHDS #0051/04 0130423
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 130423Z JAN 10 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7393
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEPADJ/CJTF HOA PRIORITY
RUEWMFD/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 04 OF 05 ADDIS ABABA 000051 
 
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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ADDIS ABAB 00000051  004 OF 005 
 
 
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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