The World Food Programme (WFP) is an agency of the United Nations which distributes food commodities to support development projects, to long-term refugees and displaced persons and as emergency food assistance in situations of natural and man-made disasters. Its headquarters is in Rome, Italy.
Development projects now constitute less than 20% of WFP programmes, as emergency and protracted refugee situations result in increasing demands for WFP programmes and resources. The WFP operates exclusively on contributions of commodities and money donated by governments.
In 2000 3.5 milliontons of food aid was distributed to 80 countries by the WFP at a cost of US$1.7 billion. Of this, 93% came from 12 donors:
In 2003, the World Food Programme, and in particular US Aid, were criticised by the government of Zambia who have alleged [1] (http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/listings/programme.shtml?day=yesterday&filename=20040913/20040913_2330_4544_25750_50) that the United States has used food aid to introduce Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) throughout the world, so that the European Union, where there is little market for GMOs, can be persuaded to adopt them. There are concerns that the US is using the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake / tsunami crisis to dump GM food aid on afflicted populations, especially in Somalia, as happened in 2002 in southern Africa[2] (http://www.organicconsumers.org/biod/africa050404.cfm). As in 2002, there is sufficient GM-free food available for local purchase and distribution to the hungry.
One of the obvious strengths of foodaid is its immediate application in feeding people--either as part of a humanitarian relief effort, as part of a recovery strategy or as part of a broader development effort.
Foodaid also has several distinct characteristics which must be carefully considered when USAID missions and PVOs decide to use food as a development tool--and as humanitarian relief assistance.
Foodaid may prove counterproductive if the commodity is unacceptable to local preferences and, in extreme cases, can also distort local consumption patterns, with long-term consequences for local agricultural markets.
Feeds |
Contact