Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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28. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if any funds from the Africa Agri-Food Development Fund have been granted to the Irish, Kenyan, or Tanzanian private sector yet; the person that received the grants; and the amount they have received. [30769/13]

Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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45. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade when grants from the Africa Agri-Food Development Fund are expected to be disbursed; the criteria, in terms of impact on poverty reduction, environmental sustainability and gender equality that were employed in selecting partners for the pilot. [30770/13]

Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 28 and 45 together.

The Africa Agri-food Development Fund is a joint initiative between the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine. The Fund was launched in April 2012.

The fund is part of Ireland’s overseas development cooperation programme and is designed to support the development of new partnerships between the agri-food sectors in Ireland and Africa. The two-year pilot phase (2012 to 2013) has a focus on Tanzania and Kenya.

The programme is targeted at encouraging and supporting Irish agri-food companies to transfer knowledge and experience to the African agri-food sector in order to build and strengthen the African food industry and meet the continent’s food needs.

A technical mission from both Departments supported by Enterprise Ireland visited Tanzania and Kenya in April 2012. A workshop with potential Irish partners was hosted by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine in May 2012. In July 2012, the Tánaiste visited an agri-food industry in Kenya to learn how a company which exports directly to high street stores in Dublin can provide a market for smallholder outgrower farmers, especially women. The Tánaiste invited this company to participate in the Africa Ireland Economic Forum in Dublin last October.

The Fund has adopted the Principles for Responsible International Investment in Agriculture that respect Rights, Livelihoods and Resources as adopted by the FAO, IFAD, UNCTAD and the World Bank. All Fund applicants will have to comply with these principles in the event that they receive public funding.

I am pleased to confirm that both Departments continue to engage in constructive dialogue with some of the major players in the agri-business in Ireland. Some of the larger companies have independently visited East Africa and initiated business contacts. In terms of the overall objective of connecting the Irish agri-food sector with the African market, the AADF has already made significant progress.

Turning to the specific questions on the disbursement of funds, I am pleased to note further progress. In all new initiatives, it takes time to identify viable areas for support. At the moment, two proposals are under consideration for funding. I can confirm that they relate to the broad areas of training for the agri-food industry and technology transfer that can improve the efficiency of food production in Africa.

In keeping with the open and transparent nature of the Fund, full details of the scheme, its objectives, principles and management are published on my Department’s website along with contact details for interested participants. The success of the Fund ultimately rests on the level of engagement by Irish agri-food companies and I remain hopeful that the pilot phase will see sustainable partnerships developed between the Irish and African agri-food sectors.