Aid to agriculture, rural development and food security

The study, commissioned by the Global Donor Platform for Rural Development, analyzes development assistance to agriculture, rural development and food security. It focuses on the quality of aid measurement and investigates the extent to which aid data provides an accurate indication of policy priorities and the changing policy context for agriculture and rural development (ARD) and aid more generally, and a useful basis for planning, accountability and analysis. By improving the understanding and handling of aid flows to ARD and food security, the study aims to contribute to strengthening transparency, accountability and the effectiveness of aid in this policy domain.

In addition to literature reviews and detailed aid data analysis, the study comprises:

• Four studies on donor agency practices with aid measurement (Germany, United Kingdom, United States and the World Bank)

• Three studies on country practices (Malawi, Nicaragua and Vietnam)

• Two desk studies (on the International Fund for Agricultural Development and on non-DAC donors and private foundations in ARD)

Advocacy for ARD and food security also needs to go beyond just volumes and reflect the changing nature of its policy components, in particular their growing interconnectedness with other policy domains. To this end, a greater effort is needed to strengthen coherence of policy and resource application beyond the conventional agricultural remit and design measurement mechanisms that incorporate the breadth of interventions necessary to promote agriculture and rural development.

Publication date: August 2011