Speaking Notes for the Honourable Beverley J. Oda Minister of International Cooperation for the FAO Summit on Food Security

Rome, Italy
November 17, 2009

As we have heard, the severity of the global food crisis cannot be overstated.

That's why food security is a key thematic focus for the Government of Canada and its international development programming.

In October, I launched a food security strategy describing how our government will deliver on its G8 commitments on food security.

The Canadian International Development Agency's Food Security Strategy follows three paths: food aid and nutrition, sustainable agricultural development, and research and development.

Last year, we took the important step of untying all our food aid.

Our food aid now reaches those who need it faster, at lower transportation costs, while supporting local markets and agricultural development.

But we are not just putting food on the table. We are focused on putting nutritious food on those tables.

Canada will increase its micronutrient programming and promote nutrient supplements, such as Vitamin A, and food fortification, like salt iodization, as an integral part of food security programs worldwide.

In recent years, Canada has met its Food Aid Convention commitment, and even exceeded the target while also increasing our overall base food aid commitment to a minimum of $230 million annually.

Our strategy also includes increasing our support for sustainable agricultural development to help developing countries feed themselves.

At this year's G8 meeting, we committed an additional $600 million to sustainable agricultural development, more than doubling our current investment to nearly $1.2 billion over three years.

As part of this commitment, Canada's support for the International Fund for Agricultural Development-IFAD-will total $75 million over three years, making Canada the world's fifth largest contributor.

In addition, Canada supports the World Bank's efforts to develop a multidonor food security and agriculture trust fund to address the ongoing challenges of food security and sustainable agricultural development.

Our government is also making new strategic R&D investments, hoping to make measurable strides toward greater food security.

A new Canadian International Food Security Research Fund, in partnership with Canada's International Development Research Centre, will support applied collaborative research with developing countries.

With nearly $62 million at its disposal, the fund will support initiatives that seek practical and concrete solutions to real challenges.

Our goal is to see results that are accessible to small-holder farmers-the majority of whom are women.

We recognize that working toward food security requires an integrated and comprehensive approach.

No single country can address these problems on its own.

Canada is one of the few countries that have spelled out how we will take action on our G8 commitment, and I look forward to working with others in doing the same.

We consider implementation and accountability for the G8 food security and sustainable agricultural development commitments to be critically important.

The bottom line is that we have to demonstrate real results in the efforts we undertake to address food insecurity.

I have made the effectiveness of Canada's aid a top priority for CIDA's Food Security Strategy, particularly in the work we do with multilateral organizations.

I would expect that those organizations also hold themselves to account for making a real impact during this crisis for the world's most vulnerable.

To achieve concrete, sustainable results, we will need to work collaboratively to develop a functioning, accountable food security structure.

This includes a role for the recently reformed Committee on Food Security and the High-Level Task Force.

We need to stay focused on the task ahead and deliver concrete actions like these that will give our commitments life.

Thank you.