International Food Aid: U.S. and Other Donor
Contributions
Charles E. Hanrahan
Senior Specialist in Agricultural Policy
Carol Canada
Information Research Specialist
February 11, 2011
Congressional Research Service
7-5700
www.crs.gov
RS21279
CRS Report for Congress
P
repared for Members and Committees of Congress
International Food Aid: U.S. and Other Donor Contributions
Summary
The United States is the world’s major provider of international food aid to low-income
developing countries. This report provides three indicators of the U.S. contribution to global food
aid: (1) shipments of major donors compiled by the International Grains Council (IGC), (2) U.S.
contributions to the United Nations World Food Program (WFP), and (3) the U.S. commitment
under the 1999 Food Aid Convention (FAC).
Data from the International Grains Council show that U.S. food aid accounted for 58% of food
aid shipments by major donors during 1995/96-2008/09.
A substantial portion of U.S. food aid is channeled through the WFP. During 1996-2010, around
48% of donor contributions to the WFP came from the United States.
The Food Aid Convention (FAC), now expired, was an agreement among donor countries to
provide a minimum amount of food aid to low-income developing countries. The food aid
commitment agreed to by all FAC signatories in 1999 was approximately 4.9 million metric tons
(mmt). The United States pledged to provide 2.5 mmt or 51% of the total commitment.
Although the Food Aid Convention has expired, member countries of the IGC’s Food Aid
Committee have continued to meet regularly to review food aid needs and food aid shipments. At
its December 2010 meeting, Food Aid Committee member countries agreed to begin a formal
process of renegotiating the convention.
Congressional Research Service
International Food Aid: U.S. and Other Donor Contributions
Contents
International Food Aid Shipments of Major Donors..................................................................... 1
Food Aid Contributions to the World Food Program .................................................................... 2
Commitments under the Food Aid Convention ............................................................................ 3
Figures
Figure 1. Average Annual Food Aid Contributions (%) by Major Donors,
1995/1996-2008/2009 .............................................................................................................. 1
Figure 2. Food Aid Contributions to the World Food Program, 1996-2010................................... 2
Figure 3. Donor Food Aid Commitments under the Food Aid Convention ................................... 3
Tables
Table 1. Annual Commitments under the Food Aid Convention ................................................... 4
Appendixes
Appendix A. Food Aid by Major Donor, 1995/96-2006/07 .......................................................... 5
Appendix B. Food Aid Contributions to the World Food Program, 1996-2010 ............................. 6
Appendix C. Food Aid Convention 1999—Annual Operations: 2000/2001-2009/2010
(July/June) ............................................................................................................................... 9
Contacts
Author Contact Information ...................................................................................................... 10
Congressional Research Service
International Food Aid: U.S. and Other Donor Contributions
International Food Aid Shipments of Major Donors
The United States is the major contributor to international food aid, supplying on average, since
1995, around 57% of the annual total food aid donated by members of the Food Aid Committee
of the International Grains Council (IGC) and signatories of the 1999 Food Aid Convention
(Figure 1).1 U.S. contributions have averaged 5.8 mmt annually, but U.S. food aid shipments
have varied from year to year (Appendix A). 2 The lowest amount shipped was 2.5 mmt in
1996/1997; the largest shipments, 7.1 mmt, were in 2001/2002. U.S. shipments of commodity
food aid were 4.2 mmt in 2008/2009.
Food aid from the European Union (including food aid provided both by the European Commis-
sion and by individual EU member countries) has been more stable and averaged around 2.6 mmt
or 27% of average annual food aid shipments. Japan and Canada provided 6% and 5%,
respectively, of the total from major donors. Historically, the United States, the EU, Canada,
Japan, and Australia have accounted for about 98% of total food aid shipments. The United States
contributes U.S. commodities, while the European Union and its member countries and Canada
provide a mix of cash and commodities. Japan’s contributions are provided primarily as cash
rather than commodities.
Figure 1. Average Annual Food Aid Contributions (%) by Major Donors,
1995/1996-2008/2009
E U 26.7%
Japa n 5 .8%
C anada 5.4%
A u s tr alia 2.8%
O th er 2. 0%
U S A 57. 4%
Source: Food Aid Operations 2008/09, International Grains Council Food Aid Committee.
Because the IGC’s food aid data are reported on a July/June marketing year basis, its data for U.S.
food aid shipments do not correspond, for example, to fiscal year food aid data reported by the
U.S. Department of Agriculture in annual budget documents or by the U.S. Agency for
1 Information on the International Grains Council, the Food Aid Convention, and the Food Aid Committee is available
at http://www.igc.int/en/Default.aspx and at http://www.foodaidconvention.org/en/Default.aspx. The member countries
of the Food Aid Committee are Argentina, Australia, Canada, the European Union, Japan, Norway, Switzerland and the
United States.
2 Data on food aid shipments provided by the International Grains Council are reported on a marketing year basis (July-
June).
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International Food Aid: U.S. and Other Donor Contributions
International Development in its budget documents or annual food aid reports. The source of the
data in Figure 1 and Appendix A is the annual report Food Aid Shipments, prepared by the Food
Aid Committee of the International Grains Council, which has been renamed Food Aid
Operations.3
Food Aid Contributions to the World Food Program
A substantial portion of U.S. food aid is channeled through the United Nations World Food
Program (WFP), the intergovernmental agency that provides food aid for development projects
and humanitarian relief in low income countries. More than 56 donors, mainly countries, but also
some non-governmental organizations and private corporations, contribute to the WFP. The
United States is the major donor, providing over the last 15 years around 45% of total WFP
contributions (Figure 2 and Appendix B). Over that same 15-year period, the EU (European
Commission plus EU member countries’ contributions) accounted for 29% of total WFP
contributions. Japan, whose contributions are in cash, provided around 6%. The remaining donors
combined provided 20% to WFP food aid resources. Donor contributions to the WFP are not in
addition to, but are included in, the data reported in Figure 1 and Appendix A.
Figure 2. Food Aid Contributions to the World Food Program, 1996-2010
USA 45.2%
Japan 5.7%
Other 20.4%
EU 28.7%
Source: World Food Programme.
Note: Data as of January 11, 2010.
3 International Grains Council, Food Aid Committee, Food Aid Operations 2008/2009: Report on Operations by
Members of the Food Aid Convention, February 2010, viewed at http://www.igc.int/downloads/publications/fas/
faoperations_0809.pdf.
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International Food Aid: U.S. and Other Donor Contributions
Commitments under the Food Aid Convention
The Food Aid Convention (FAC), first agreed to in 1967 during the Kennedy Round of
multilateral trade negotiations held under the auspices of the General Agreements on Tariffs and
Trade (GATT), was an international agreement that constituted a framework of cooperation on
food aid between major donors. The food aid commitment under the FAC was a minimum
commitment and was intended to be a guarantee of food security for low-income developing
countries. The signatories of the FAC were Argentina, Australia, Canada, the European Union and
its member countries, Japan, Norway, Switzerland, and the United States. Signatories could
provide more than their minimum commitment. The current FAC was negotiated in 1999 and
expired in 2003.
Under the FAC, the donors could express their annual food aid commitments in either tonnage or
in value. Other donors—the EU, Canada, and Japan—use a mix of commodities and cash. The
total commitment under the most recent FAC (1999-2003) was 4.9 mmt (see Figure 3 and
Appendix B). The United States made the largest commitment, 2.5 mmt or 51% of the total. The
combined EU commitment (Commission and member countries) was around 27%. Commitments
by Canada, Japan, and Australia were, respectively, 8.6%, 6.1%, and 5.1% (Table 1).
Figure 3. Donor Food Aid Commitments under the Food Aid Convention
(% of total commitment)
Source: International Grains Council Food Aid Committee, Food Aid Convention.
Although the FAC expired in 2003, a working committee of the IGC was established to prepare
for its renegotiation.4 The Food Aid Committee of the IGC continues to meet periodically to
review donor food aid contributions in relation to commitments under the 1999 FAC and to
global food needs and has agreed to periodic extensions of the 1999 FAC. Concurrently, trade-
related aspects of food aid are being negotiated in the multilateral trade round known as the Doha
4 IGC-FAC Press Release, 8 December 2004, viewed at http://www.igc.org.uk/press/pr041208.htm.
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International Food Aid: U.S. and Other Donor Contributions
Development Agenda (DDA). Renegotiation of the FAC has been on hold pending completion of
DDA trade negotiations. However, at their biennial meeting in December 2010, members of the
Food Aid Committee agreed to begin the formal process of renegotiating the Food Aid
Convention.5
Table 1. Annual Commitments under the Food Aid Convention
(metric tons wheat equivalent)
Annual
Average Food Aid
Commitments
Percent
Shipments 1999-2003
Percent
Argentina 35,000 0.72%
553
0.01%
Australia 250,000 5.11% 235,242
2.42%
Canada 420,000 8.58% 386,859
3.98%
EU 1,320,000
26.97%
2,072,822 21.34%
Japan 300,000
6.13%
550,945 5.67%
Norway 30,000 0.61% 109,318
1.13%
Switzerland 40,000 0.82%
62,217
0.64%
USA 2,500,000
51.07%
6,294,145 64.81%
Total 4,895,000
100.00% 9,712,101 100.00%
Source: International Grains Council Food Aid Committee, The Food Aid Convention.
5 Food Aid Committee, Press Release, December 20, 2010, “Meeting of the Food Aid Committee, London 14
December 2010,†viewed at http://www.foodaidconvention.org/Pdf/p_r/prfacdec10.pdf.
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International Food Aid: U.S. and Other Donor Contributions
Appendix A. Food Aid by Major Donor,
1995/96-2006/07
1995/96 1996/97 1997/98 1998/99 1999/00 2000/01 2001/02
(metric tons wheat equivalent)
Argentina 13,400 —
—
10,135
2,740
— 26
Australia
298,146 305,127 293,221 273,064 296,713 251,865 245,828
Canada
448,764 468,431 417,917 487,095 470,640 293,477 412,082
EU
2,413,991 2,049,691 2,201,162 1,969,892 1,970,768 2,357,778 1,836,717
Japan
474,870 326,835 302,626 561,643 337,357 637,749 531,755
Norway
6,233 32,816 19,306 61,293 75,960 85,876 74,318
Switzerland 75,479 38,636 57,915 38,939 61,295 54,169 58,042
USA
2,849,384 2,553,283 2,818,500 4,734,121 5,692,116 6,798,280 7,124,407
Total
6,580,267 5,774,819 6,110,647 8,136,182 8,907,589 10,479,194 10,283,175
2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09
(metric tons wheat equivalent)
Argentina
— — — — — — —
Australia
203,820 177,984 168,083 180,667 114,530 216,726 163,857
Canada
499,382 351,168 437,341 448,534 474,438 520,903 551,475
EU
1,980,781 2,218,065 2,151,958 2,853,063 2,488,053 2,178,310 2,263,456
Japan
666,910 580,953 578,261 354,289 318,964 428,301 556,078
Norway
144,927 165,510 145,586 196,034 179,408 102,955 89,382
Switzerland 67,892 69,689 71,854 61,608 71,051 69,872 59,368
USA
6,054,197 5,801,724 5,363,186 4,830,710 3,869,162 3,630,343 4,256,834
Total
9,617,909 9,365,093 8,916,269 8,924,905 7,515,606 7,147,410 7,940,450
Total Annual
Average
(percent) (metric
tons)
Argentina
26,301
0.02%
2,192
Australia
3,189,631
2.76%
227,831
Canada
6,281,647
5.43%
448,689
EU 30,933,685
26.74%
2,209,549
Japan
6,656,591
5.75%
475,471
Norway
1,379,604
1.19%
98,543
Switzerland
855,809
0.74%
61,129
USA
66,376,247
57.37%
4,741,161
Total
115,699,515
100.00%
8,264,251
Source: International Grains Council Food Aid Committee, Food Aid Shipments renamed to Food Aid Operations,
various issues.
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Appendix B. Food Aid Contributions to the World Food Program, 1996-2010
(thousand dollars)
Government
Donors
1996* 1997* 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
United States of America
494,980 408,380 873,051 721,157 795,676
1,201,223 939,349
1,458,913
European
Union
603,981 550,522 522,601 464,844 443,049 449,679 563,054 623,392
EU
Commission
196,873 237,254 184,645 167,576 117,794 126,833 177,326 200,874
EU
Countries
407,108 313,269 337,956 297,268 325,255 322,846 385,728 422,518
Austria
4,774 4,910 3,853 3,710 2,832 1,117 3,302 2,199
Belgium
19,472 17,416 16,908 10,782 6,284 5,342 5,831 8,405
Bulgaria
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Cyprus
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Czech
Republic
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Denmark
53,064 44,248 43,384 46,900 41,922 39,786 40,158 39,268
Estonia
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Finland
16,045 13,768 13,801 15,345 15,219 14,352 17,444 17,793
France
19,203 21,884 24,742 27,693 26,170 35,957 14,457 14,939
Germany
96,036 68,487 61,779 53,089 46,750 58,228 60,920 46,503
Greece
150 170 25 1 130 0 0 200
Hungary
0 0 65 74 65 65 65 65
Ireland
3,149 4,284 4,378 5,021 7,644 7,338 10,349 11,815
Italy
34,876 9,112 10,632 20,824 19,936 39,748 41,787 41,074
Latvia
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Lithuania
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Luxembourg
218
0 270 130 1,205 1,748 2,919 4,132
Malta
0 0 28 0 0 0 0 1
Netherlands
78,804 45,972 45,532 55,003 62,801 59,173 58,795 50,422
Poland
0 0 0 684 225 200 215 215
Portugal
0 0 185
2,285 0 358 0 447
CRS-6
Government
Donors
1996* 1997* 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
Romania
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Slovakia
0 0 25 518 15 15 15 697
Slovenia
0 0
227
141 0 57 36 0
Spain
13,720 12,245 2,725 2,511 3,256 3,952 2,607 6,754
Sweden
33,164 35,985 29,511 28,415 30,778 27,721 31,224 42,341
UK
34,434 34,789 80,212 24,284 60,056 27,694 95,718 135,734
Japan
124,032 98,991 123,757 106,438 260,099 90,592 92,896 130,136
Al
Others
222,166 253,647 200,133 220,074 195,017 165,160 226,342 342,673
Total
Government
Donors
0
0 1,719,541 1,509,679 1,682,692 1,902,530 1,816,080 2,530,865
Total Financial Institutions,
0
0 4,479 2,833 11,149 4,125 5,560 24,250
Pooled Funding,, and Private Sector Donors
Total
1,445,159 1,311,540 1,724,019 1,512,512 1,693,841 1,906,655 1,821,641 2,555,115
Government
Donors
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Total
United States of America
1,065,404 1,173,720 1,123,696 1,184,181 2,076,430 1,749,214 1,551,859 16,817,231
European
Union
647,631 871,802 747,321 763,147
1,262,752
1,173,994 970,232
10,660,161
EU
Commission
200,501 263,940 265,762 250,437 355,435 344,078 289,928
3,379,256
EU
Countries
447,130 607,862 481,559 512,710 907,317 829,916 680,303
7,280,904
Austria
2,189 4,093 1,839 3,794 3,935 1,722 1,329 45,598
Belgium
11,705 13,941 11,132 17,642 24,784 39,111 37,349 246,104
Bulgaria
5 0 10 10 15 0 0 40
Cyprus
5
0 400 656 200 814 684
2,759
Czech
Republic
98 1,236 308 561 817 309 159
3,489
Denmark
43,436 53,202 43,817 44,731 56,544 41,885 40,158 672,502
Estonia
0 0 0 42 242 0 94 378
Finland
18,000 23,794 18,320 25,562 28,257 28,585 26,473 292,757
France
30,424 37,809 25,294 32,149 40,357 21,666 20,684 393,428
Germany
65,331 69,533 59,680 65,836 100,747 132,086 95,350
1,080,356
CRS-7
Government
Donors
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Total
Greece
16 3,637 4,201 5,094 8,540 5,438 356 27,958
Hungary
65 120 65 65 65 65
844
Ireland
13,684 19,820 31,005 34,414 39,852 22,549 19,318 234,620
Italy
0 45,790 12,394 31,601 101,656 30,000 29,831 469,263
Latvia
0 0 0 0 0 0 37 37
Lithuania
0 0
112
306 27 0 0
446
Luxembourg
5,413 10,933 15,387 12,207 14,276 13,273 12,362 94,472
Malta
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 29
Netherlands
77,738 115,348 79,985 75,630 117,435 77,594 74,424
1,074,657
Poland
356 200 1,200 755
1,164 535 691
6,438
Portugal
723 874 488 111 111 112 0
5,693
Romania
0 0 0 147 301 75 72 595
Slovakia
25 30 48 44 72 30 15
1,548
Slovenia
34 97
0 107 135 108 119
1,062
Spain
17,466 11,552 16,993 29,641 117,116 213,848 80,727 535,113
Sweden
44,540 84,259 58,520 64,754 81,708 72,487 84,768 750,177
UK
115,884 111,595 100,372 66,851 168,961 127,624 155,301
1,339,508
Japan
135,730 160,472 71,386 118,902 178,181 202,684 214,406
2,108,700
Al
Others
393,259 512,212 756,949 648,906
1,528,867 888,823
1,030,636
7,582,706
Total
Government
Donors
2,219,586 2,680,726 2,422,954 2,519,578 4,669,046 3,693,205 3,441,837 32,808,318
Total Financial Institutions,
22,437 37,479 276,398 195,558 377,184 321,510 325,296
1,608,260
Pooled Funding, and Private Sector Donors
Total
2,242,023 2,718,205 2,699,352 2,715,137 5,046,230 4,014,715 3,767,133 37,173,277
Source: World Food Program. Data as of January 11, 2011. See http://www.wfp.org/about/donors/wfp-donors.
* 1996 and 1997 includes both the totals for government donors and financial institutions, pooled funding, and private donors.
If a country contributed to the WFP program before joining the EU then the amounts contributed are shown in this table; however, their contributions were not added to
the total for the EU countries or EU total. Instead it was added to all others.
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Appendix C. Food Aid Convention 1999—Annual Operations: 2000/2001-
2009/2010 (July/June)
(metric tons: wheat equivalent)
annual
Donor
commitment
2000/01
2001/02
2002/03
2003/04
2004/05
2005/06
2006/07
2007/08
2008/09
2009/10
Argentina 35,000
- - - -
- - - - -
Australia
150,000
251,865 245,828 203,820 177,984 168,083 180,667 114,530 216,726 163,857 165,081
Canada
420,000
307,575 412,082 499,382 351,168 437,341 448,534 474,438 520,903 551,475 524,148
European Uniona tonnage:
2,337,508 1,836,717 1,980,781 2,218,065 2,151,958 2,853,063 2,488,053 2,178,310 2,263,456 1,691765
1,320,000 +
value:
€130,000,000
Japan
300,00
637,749 531,755 666,910 580,953 578,261 354,289 318,964 428,301 556,078 691,326
Norway
30,000
85,876 74,318 144,927 165,510 145,586 196,034 179,408 102,955 89,382 62,774
Switzerland
40,000
54,169 58,042 67,892 69,689 71,854 61,608 71,051 69,872 59,368 47,861
United
States
2,500,000
6,798,280 7,124,407 6,054,197 5,801,724 5,363,186 4,830,710 3,869,162 3,630,343 4,256,834 3,745,514
TOTALb
10,473,022 10,283,149 9,617,909 9,365,093 8,916,269 8,924,904 7,515,606 7,147,410 7,940,450 6,928,469
Source: Food Aid Convention. See http://www.foodaidconvention.org/en/default.aspx.
Notes: These figures refer to the wheat equivalent of actual shipments completed during the years shown, including EU value commitments (as estimated by the IGC
Secretariat). They are not adjusted for any product limits under Article IV of the Food Aid Convention 1999 and do not necessarily represent the performance of members
in relation to their annual commitments.
a. And EU member States. Shipments include estimated tonnage under FAC “value†contributions.
b. Includes contributions under IEFR Immediate Response Account (IRA), as reported by WFP.
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International Food Aid: U.S. and Other Donor Contributions
Author Contact Information
Charles E. Hanrahan
Carol Canada
Senior Specialist in Agricultural Policy
Information Research Specialist
chanrahan@crs.loc.gov, 7-7235
ccanada@crs.loc.gov, 7-7619
Congressional Research Service
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