From Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
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The Tánaiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence, Micheál Martin TD, and Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue TD, today announced the appointment of Mr Tom Arnold as independent Chair of the Ireland Africa Rural Development Committee (IARDC).
The IARDC aims to strengthen the coordination of Ireland’s ongoing support to the transformation of Africa’s agriculture and rural economy. The IARD is comprised of representatives from both Government Departments, relevant State Agencies, the private sector, academia and the African community in Ireland.
The Tánaiste said:
‘I am delighted to announce together with Minister McConalogue the appointment of Mr Tom Arnold as Chair of the Ireland-Africa Rural Development Committee (IARDC). Mr Arnold’s role will be crucial to the work of the IARDC in enhancing Ireland’s support and cooperation with Africa on food, agriculture and rural development.
The African continent has been disproportionately affected by the global food crisis, resulting in hundreds of millions of people facing acute food and nutrition insecurity. Ireland continues to work hard to address these challenges and the IARDC will contribute to this effort. In bringing together key actors involved in food systems, agriculture and rural development, the IARDC serves as a vital space to maximise our collective effort and scale up the necessary solutions to food and nutrition insecurity in Africa.’
Minister McConalogue said:
‘I am very pleased that Tom Arnold has accepted our invitation to be the independent Chair of the IARDC. Tom’s vast experience of development work in Africa, his leadership on the task forces both in the EU and Ireland, and his acknowledged expertise on global food systems transformation makes him the ideal person to advance the development of the Ireland Africa relationship on rural development’.
ENDS
Ireland’s relationship with Africa has changed significantly over the past two decades. The current Ireland Africa relationship has been shaped by ‘Ireland’s Africa Strategy’ (2011) and ‘Ireland’s Strategy for Africa to 2025’ (2019). Both Strategies focused on a long-term approach to Africa based on partnership, an expanded diplomatic footprint, increased mutual trade, and engaging with the EU on a common agenda for rural Africa.
Food security and tackling hunger has been central to Ireland’s policy towards Africa but this policy has evolved in recent years. Ireland’s overall development strategy “A Better World” (2019) prioritised sustainable food systems and the development of Africa’s rural economy. This shift anticipated a change at international level reflected in the UN Food Systems Summit (2021), one outcome of which was the commitment by 148 countries, including Ireland and many African countries, to embark on their ‘national pathways for food system transformation’.
Mr Arnold previously Chaired the EU Commission Task Force on Rural Africa and Ireland’s response, the National Task Force for Rural Africa (NTTRA).
The Ireland Africa Rural Development Committee ( IARDC) was established arising from a recommendation in the report of the NTTRA.