Canada Takes The Lead

For all its problems, the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) does one thing very well: it leads the world in an effective approach for alleviating food shortages around the globe.  In fact, at the recent World Summit on Food Security in Rome last week, Canada stood alone in not only living up to its international commitment on food disbursements but also in detailing how it would implement those promises.  In a world where governments are beginning to scale back because of heavy deficit loads, CIDA’s leadership at the summit drew appreciative reviews from the 150 heads of state, ministers and representatives from international organizations that attended the summit.CIDA has pressed other donor nations to look past the needed supply of foodstuffs and commit to investing in sustainable agriculture and to effective research and development to enhance greater food security in the coming decades.  Minister Oda went even farther, committing to double Canada’s investment to sustainable agricultural development to $1.2 billion from 2007-2008 levels over the next three years.In essence, Oda used Canada’s heightened commitment to leverage more cooperation among donor countries by stressing that “no single country can address these challenges on its own.”  In calling for a more coordinated approach internationally, she showed that when it comes to food, Canada walks the walk.  If this country had not fulfilled its promises in this regard, it could never have taken the leadership stance it did.CIDA’s present difficulties have been deep, complex and at times disheartening.  Many of its present personnel are leaving for greener pastures and the NGO community has thrown its hands up in despair.  In the pages of this blog, I have attempted to highlight the Agency’s inconsistencies and suggested some corrective courses of action.  But when CIDA does something right, we shouldn’t ignore that fact either, and in the area of food security CIDA has assisted this country in standing alone in fulfilling its international protocols on food.  It’s a remarkable glimmer of light in what has been a prolonged season of deep darkness for the Agency.One of the heads of the World Food Program (WFP) focused on a number of key areas where Canada showed resilient leadership on the food issue.  We should list some of them here and credit Bev Oda for doing Canada proud in this matter:

• Canada released greater potential by untying its food aid for the first time in 2008
• Canada was one of the first to respond to the WFP’s emergency appeal to counter the high price of food in 2008
• Canada was the first to respond to WFP’s appeal for the Horn of Africa in September 2009
• Canada was thanked for taking bold leadership with a comprehensive new strategy which supports forward-looking approaches to food security

In her speech at the summit, Oda stated:  “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.”  Well, she’s done it, and there’s no point in being partisan or cheap about it.  In this area, CIDA has been a shining example that the rest of the world should emulate and we should welcome such a development.  CIDA’s troubles are legion and it runs the risk of neglecting other responsibilities while it focuses on food security, but let’s face it: at a time when this country recedes on the world stage, the Agency transcended its difficulties to produce a fine example of leadership.  As such, it’s a cause for celebration and I welcome it.