Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue announced funding of €29,762,733 today (Wednesday, December 27) for international development and humanitarian relief for 2023.
This includes an advance payment of Ireland’s 2024 commitment of €25 million to the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP).
Announcing the funding details, Minister McConalogue said: “Ireland’s commitment to tackling the escalating food security crisis, exacerbated by the convergence of geopolitical conflicts and climate change, remains steadfast.
“Through strategic alliances with our UN agency partners and our policy of flexible funding, we are not just aiming to alleviate immediate hunger, but also working diligently towards the Sustainable Development Goal of achieving zero hunger by 2030.”
International development
Minister McConalogue also announced payments of €2.77 million for specific Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) projects and programmes, in addition to Ireland’s annual assessed contribution of €1.64 million.
These specific projects have a strong focus on emergency agricultural assistance; climate change resilience; rural women’s economic empowerment; and work on sustainable food systems.
It includes €40,000 for the Global Agenda for Sustainable Livestock (GASL).
It also includes the €428,000 seed potato project to support the farming community in Ukraine, which the minister announced earlier this year.
Payments of €350,000 under the Africa Agri-food Development Programme (AADP), which is operated by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) in cooperation with the Department of Foreign Affairs, were also made.
This funding and the partnerships with WFP and FAO are within the framework of Ireland’s policy for international development, “A Better World”, on which DAFM works closely with Irish Aid in the Department of Foreign Affairs.
WFP, executive director, Ms. Cindy McCain said: “This funding commitment is crucial to help us tackle malnutrition, support vulnerable communities adapt to climate change, and build more resilient food systems capable of feeding every person on our planet.”
Minister McConalogue said that the funding is a “crucial step” in “bolstering” the WFP’s operations.
“Particularly in conflict regions in the Horn of Africa, the Middle East and now in the occupied Palestinian territory, where the need for immediate humanitarian relief is pressing.
“Our solidarity with those countries benefiting from these vital programmes resonates deeply with farmers and food producers in Ireland, as we champion sustainable food production here and abroad,” the minister said.