Policy Updates

On June 27, 2024, USAID announced US$66 million to Zambia, which is designated by the US as a Feed the Future accelerator county, to mitigate worsening drought conditions, strengthen food security efforts, and build local resilience.

Zambia's crop loss has reached between 60-95% due to drought conditions, increasing food prices by 83%. USAID is providing emergency assistance to address the urgent nutritional crisis, as well as help farmers in Zambia strengthen longer-term resilience.

The US and Zambia are working together to help implement the Feed the Future program, including through implementation of the Feed the Future Accelerator effort.

On June 15, 2024, during a peace summit in Ukraine with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, US Vice President Kamala Harris announced a new US$1.5 billion package of support to the people of Ukraine through energy, humanitarian assistance, and civil society.

The assistance will come through both USAID and the State Department and includes US$500 million in new assistance for the energy sector. US$324 million in previously announced energy funding will be used to address emergency assistance aimed to repair damaged infrastructure, as well as to expand and protect other infrastructure.

US$379 million in humanitarian assistance will provide food, health, shelter, and WASH services to the people of Ukraine. The final part of the package will assist with civilian security assistance to help law enforcement and border guards operate on the front lines.

On June 14, 2024, the second day of the G7 Summit, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced nearly CAD687 million (US$501 million) to strengthen sustainable agricultural, climate resiliency, and foster gender equality in low- and middle-income countries.

Within the funding was CAD200 million (US$146 million) to IFAD, including:

• CAD100 million (US$73 million) to reduce poverty and food insecurity while strengthening climate resilience, with a focus on poor, vulnerable, and rural communities; and
• CAD100 million (US$73 million) as a repayable contribution to IFAD’s Private Sector Financing Programme to support investments in the agricultural sector in low- and middle-income countries, especially in the Americas, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Asia.

Canada also announced new funding for the Indo-Pacific region, which is home to the largest number of climate-vulnerable people in the world. Funding included:

• CAD360 million (US$262 million) in repayable contributions to the ADB to establish the Canadian Climate and Nature Fund for the Private Sector in Asia to mobilize private capital toward inclusive climate change mitigation and adaptation projects; and
• CAD7 million (US$5 million) through the IDRC to build on Canada’s existing partnership with the UK to expand the IDRC’s AI for Development program for responsible AI innovation and capacity building in the Indo-Pacific.

Lastly, Canada announced new funding to advance gender equality and the empowerment of women, girls, and LGBTQI+ people, including:

• CAD100 million (US$73 million) in the International Finance Corporation’s Facility for Gender Equality, Resilience, Opportunity, and Inclusion Worldwide, which is expected to mobilize an estimated CAD470 million (US$342 million) in private capital for investments that empower women and promote gender inclusion; and
• CAD20 million (US$15 million) to TradeMark Africa and the Centre for International Studies and Cooperation to help eliminate the gender-based barriers that prevent women from fully participating in opportunities afforded by the African Continental Free Trade Area.

On June 14, 2024, USAID and the US State Department announced an additional US$315 million for emergency assistance to the people of Sudan in response to the ongoing regional crisis.

The war, having lasted for over a year, has caused extreme hunger for nearly 5 million people. Overall, about 25 million people in Sudan are in need of immediate assistance, which has internally displaced about 10 million people and has cause food insecurity in Sudan's border countries. The new funding is slated to help address acute malnutrition and hunger-related deaths.

The assistance will provide food, nutrition services, WASH services, and health care, especially focused on children. Other lifesaving assistance will be provided to refugees both in Sudan and in neighboring countries.

On June 13, 2024, the Netherlands announced the distribution of its cabinet posts, including the creation of three new ministries: Asylum and Migration, Housing and Spatial Planning, and Climate and Green Growth.

The Dutch government also renamed the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature, and Food Quality to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security, and Nature. The Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation will become the Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Assistance. These changes are meant to mirror the new government’s priorities.

The PVV was allocated five ministers, the VVD and NSC four, and the BBB two. Designated Prime Minister Dick Schoof does not represent any party.

Ministerial appointments with relevance to development included:

• Minister of Climate and Green Growth: Sophie Hermans ( VVD);
• Minister of Finance: Eelco Heinen ( VVD);
• Minister of Economic Affairs: Dirk Beljaarts ( PVV);
• Minister of Agriculture: Femke Wiersma ( BBB);
• Minister of Education: Eppo Bruins ( NSC, CU);
• Minister of Asylum and Migration: Marjolein Faber ( PVV);
• Minister of Health: Fleur Agema ( PVV);
• Minister of Foreign Affairs: Caspar Veldkamp ( NSC); and
• Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Assistance: Reinette Klever ( PVV).

The PVV’s Ministers for Foreign Trade and Development Assistance Reinette Klever and Asylum and Migration Marjolein Faber sparked controversy due to past statements regarding omvolking, or the ‘replacement theory’. Faber and Klever distanced themselves from past use of the term but reiterated concerns about demographic change.

Candidate ministers and secretaries will present themselves in public hearings to the House of Representatives. The new cabinet is expected to be sworn in on July 2, 2024.

On June 13, 2024, Norway announced a commitment of NOK1 billion (US$94 million) to support CSOs working to enhance food security in six African countries.

The funding aims to bolster local food production, preserve local seeds, and increase yields for smallholder farmers, particularly in regions vulnerable to food insecurity. Norway’s initiative emphasizes gender equality, aiming to reduce the food insecurity gap and enhance economic opportunities for women farmers.

Norad received 200 concept notes, from which 12 organizations were invited to submit full proposals. The proposals were assessed by experts and five were awarded support for five years. The selected organizations work in Niger, Malawi, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, and Mozambique. The projects were listed as:

• The Royal Norwegian Society for Development in collaboration with NORCAP: Focus on rice production in Tanzania and cashew farming in Mozambique, received NOK200 million (US$19 million);
• Co-operative Development Foundation of Canada: Integration of agriculture and aquaculture in Malawi, received NOK170 million (US$16 million);
• PELUM Uganda: Development and conservation of local seed varieties in Uganda, Malawi, and Niger, received NOK175 million (US$17 million);
• SNV: Increase production of various crops and enhance farmer income in Tanzania, received NOK200 million (US$19 million); and
• Stichting IDH: Collaboration with the private sector to boost smallholder production and local food processing in Tanzania and Ethiopia, received NOK255 million (US$24 million).

On June 11, 2024, Japan hosted the Japan-Ukraine Public-Private Roundtable in Germany to discuss measures for the restoration and reconstruction of Ukraine, involving both public and private sectors.

Approximately 60 Japanese and Ukrainian companies participated in the conference. The meeting aimed to expand cooperation in fields such as agriculture, renewable energy, and housing construction.

In February 2024, during the Japan-Ukraine Conference for Promotion of Economic Growth and Reconstruction in Tokyo, the two countries agreed on seven key areas of support, including social infrastructure and demining. They signed over 50 cooperation agreements to facilitate specific forms of support.

The restoration of Ukraine’s agriculture is a critical focus, given that agricultural land accounts for 70% of Ukraine’s total land area. Japan plans to sign five memoranda of understanding to bolster Ukraine’s agricultural production. Companies including Yanmar Agribusiness Co. and Kubota Corp. discussed supplying agricultural machinery with Ukrainian authorities. Additionally, the Japanese government pledged to streamline customs clearance procedures to support these initiatives.

In the renewable energy sector, Japan and Ukraine aim to strengthen cooperation in developing wind power and other renewable sources. This initiative aligns with the broader goals discussed during the G7+ energy meeting held on June 11, 2024 in Berlin, Germany. Japanese Vice Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry, Kazuchika Iwata, emphasized Japan’s commitment to supporting Ukraine’s energy needs and facilitating collaboration between companies from both nations.

During the Berlin conference, Iwata also met with Polish Special Representative for Ukraine Development Cooperation Pawel Kowal. They discussed enhancing collaboration between Japan and Poland in support of Ukraine’s reconstruction efforts, given Poland’s pivotal role in Ukraine’s recovery.

On June 7, 2024, Canada’s IDRC announced CAD23 million (US$17 million) to support inclusive and sustainable aquaculture food systems to address climate change and food insecurity in Southeast Asia and the Pacific region.

The IDRC partnered with the Canadian government to launch AQUADAPT, a four-year project to improve small-scale aquaculture’s climate productivity and sustainability. The partnership aims to develop nature-based solutions to sustainably manage aquatic ecosystems and support robust nutritious systems, quality jobs, and resilient food production in a changing climate. AQUADAPT will include 11 research alliances and 35 institutions across Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

On June 5, 2024, the South Korean MAFRA and the RDA hosted the 2024 Korea-Africa Agricultural Conference as an official side event of the 2024 Korea-Africa Summit, held from June 4-5, 2024.

MAFRA Minister Miryung Song expressed her high expectations for Korea’s agricultural cooperation projects including the K-Rice Belt, smart farms, and agricultural processing in her welcoming remarks.

At the opening ceremony, a memorandum of understanding was signed between South Korea and Madagascar, Malawi, Angola, and Zimbabwe to expand participating countries in the K-Rice Belt. K-Rice Belt, launched in 2023, is an ODA program that creates rice seed production complexes in African countries suffering from rice production shortages to produce high-yielding rice seeds and distribute them to farmers.

MAFRA has set a goal of producing 10,000 tons of rice seeds per year by 2027 to feed 30 million people on the African continent. Song highlighted MAFRA's ambitions to bolster agricultural cooperation between South Korea and African countries.

On May 29, 2024, the IRPP urged Canada to pivot its Indo-Pacific Strategy to focus on strengthening relationships with Vietnam to support efforts in sustainable climate, agriculture, and water management.

Canada’s CAD2.3 billion (US$1.7 billion) Indo-Pacific investment, introduced in November 2022, focuses on economic security, for which Vietnam is regarded as a regional success story. Vietnam is the second-fastest growing economy in Asia, but faces ongoing challenges including water shortages, unsustainable development practices, and climate change.

Given Canada’s expertise in agri-tech, clean technology innovation, and freshwater management, the IRPP encouraged the Canadian government to use its strengths to be a more active and reliable partner to Vietnam. It urged Canada to invest in Vietnam’s water sector, which needs up to US$2.7 billion to reach its ambitious target of building a clean and resilient water supply by 2050. The IRPP also proposed use of Canadian agri-tech expertise to support low-carbon agricultural practices and help farmers adapt to climate change.