According to the United States Government and Accountability (GAO) office, the US is the world’s largest food aid donor, contributing over half of all global food aid supplies. Recently, however, the GAO has acknowledged limitations in the efficiency and effectiveness of this aid, releasing a report at the end of last month that investigates the distribution of US food aid through local and regional procurement (LRP) methods. The GAO issued the report in order to investigate the benefits and difficulties of securing food aid in regions closer to the recipient country.

The report found that there are great benefits in local procurement. In Sub-Saharan Africa, local procurement cost about 34% less than similar food aid purchased and shipped from the US to the same countries between 2001 and 2008. And from 2004 to 2008, international food aid delivery to 10 Sub-Saharan African countries took an average of 147 days, while local procurement took only 35 days. Another benefit to LRP is that locally procured food might be more culturally appropriate to the recipients. The US, however, has only recently begun to pilot LRP programs. The 2008 Farm Bill authorized $60 million for a USDA pilot program to buy food aid nearer to recipient countries. In addition, $50 million was issued to USAID for emergency response, including the 2008 food crisis.  Yet total conversion of US food aid to the seemingly more efficient and cost effective method of LRP faces a number of hurdles.

Local and regional procurement is faced with many challenges, as noted by the GAO report. Although procuring food locally can provide recipients with more culturally appropriate food, adherence to quality and nutritional standards is difficult to attain. Furthermore LRP increases demand, driving up food prices in the areas where food is being procured. Inadequate market intelligence “makes it difficult to determine the extent to which LRP can be scaled up without causing adverse market impacts.” While LRP offers a promising future for food aid, the GAO recommends a significant increase in the amount of research and technical assistance in order to create a system most beneficial to food aid recipients.

The complexities in securing food aid in an efficient, effective, and nutritious manner remains a challenge. In September of 2008 the FAO reported that high food prices had resulted in the number of undernourished people reaching 963 million people. That is 40 million more than in 2007, and translates to the equivalent of 1 out of every 7 people. With such high numbers it is increasingly important to ensure that children are receiving the nutrition they need to survive and thrive in their environments. Micronutrient supplementation is a low cost intervention that offers a solution to a major global health problem.  As access to nutritious foods remains scarce in some regions, and the prospect of an optimal food aid system appears far off, implementation of proven methods of nutritional support provide an immediate solution to an urgent problem.

Read the article >>
Download the report >>