12 June 2008
Meeting of the Food Aid Committee
The Food Aid Committee met in London on 6 June 2008 under the chairmanship of Dr Hedwig Wögerbauer of Austria. Members considered the latest developments in the world food situation, especially current emergencies and the impact of the recent price shocks on vulnerable populations. Donors exchanged information on additional measures being taken to ensure adequate deliveries of food aid to developing countries. Note was taken of the outcome of the FAO High-Level Conference on World Food Security, in particular the measures to which governments are committing to address the challenge of higher food prices.
Donors’ total shipments of food aid under the Food Aid Convention,1999 (FAC) in 2007/08 were expected to approach 6m. tons, somewhat less than in the previous year. However, these would be in excess of their combined minimum FAC obligations, almost entirely expressed in quantitative terms. Members outlined the substantial additional budgetary allocations being mobilised by their governments to help meet the steeply increased commodity and distribution costs being faced this year.
The Committee agreed that the current Convention, due to expire on 30 June 2008, would be extended by another year, to 30 June 2009, ensuring that members’ aid obligations would remain in place at a time of increased need and considerable concern about food supplies. The Secretariat of the World Trade Organisation, in a communication to the Food Aid Committee, reported on the latest developments as they relate to food aid in the Doha Round of multilateral trade negotiations. Members considered ways in which the preparatory process for renegotiating the FAC, with a view to making it an even more effective instrument to combat hunger, could best be implemented. To this end, it was agreed that before they were due to meet in December 2008, members should take stock of the situation and set in motion arrangements to intensify preparatory work regarding the objectives and structure of a new Food Aid Convention.
Mr Masato Takaoka, Minister (Economic Affairs), Embassy of Japan, was elected as the Committee’s Chairman for 2008/09.
Note for editors: Under the Food Aid Convention, 1999, donors pledge to provide annually specified minimum amounts or values of food aid to developing countries in the form of grains and other food products. The objective of the Convention is to contribute to world food security and to improve the ability of the international community to respond to emergency food situations and other food needs of developing countries, ensuring that food aid is directed to the alleviation of poverty and hunger of the most vulnerable groups.
The Food Aid Convention is administered by the International Grains Council (IGC), whose Secretariat services the Food Aid Committee. For more background information on the role and activities of the Food Aid Committee, please see the IGC website at www. igc.org.uk, or contact the IGC Secretariat.
PR(FAC June 08)