International Food Aid:
U.S. and Other Donor Contributions
Charles E. Hanrahan
Senior Specialist in Agricultural Policy
Carol Canada
Information Research Specialist
November 12, 2013
Congressional Research Service
7-5700
www.crs.gov
RS21279
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 data on the U.S. contribution to global food aid as
reported by signatories of the International Food Aid Convention (FAC) and compiled by the
International Grains Council (IGC), as well as data on U.S. and other donor contributions to the
United Nations World Food Program (WFP).
The Food Aid Convention (FAC) is 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) annually. The
United States pledged to provide 2.5 mmt annually, or 51% of the total annual commitment. A
new FAC, renamed the Food Assistance Convention, was negotiated in 2012. The United States
ratified the new FAC on September 26, 2012. Commitments under the new convention are
pending.
Data from the IGC show that U.S. food aid accounted for 56% of food aid shipments by FAC
signatories over the period 1995/1996-2011/2012.
A substantial portion of U.S. food aid is channeled through the WFP. Over the period from 1996
to October 20, 2013, around 43% of donor contributions to the WFP came from the United States.
Congressional Research Service
International Food Aid: U.S. and Other Donor Contributions
Contents
Commitments Under the Food Aid Convention .............................................................................. 1
Food Aid Shipments under the FAC ................................................................................................ 2
Food Aid Contributions to the World Food Program ....................................................................... 3
Figures
Figure 1. Average Annual Food Aid Shipments (%) in Wheat Equivalent by Major FAC
Donors, 1995/1996-2011/2012 ..................................................................................................... 3
Figure 2. Food Aid Contributions by Donors to the World Food Program, 1996-2013 .................. 4
Tables
Table 1. Annual FAC Food Aid Commitments and Annual Average Shipments ............................. 1
Appendixes
Appendix A. Annual Food Aid Shipments by FAC Donors, 1995/96-2011/12 ............................... 5
Appendix B. Annual Food Aid Contributions by Donors to the World Food Program,
1996-2013 ..................................................................................................................................... 6
Contacts
Author Contact Information........................................................................................................... 11
Congressional Research Service
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 among 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.
Under the FAC, the donors could express their annual food aid commitments either in tonnage or
in value. Some donors—the EU, Canada, and Japan—use a mix of commodities and cash. The
total commitment under the FAC (negotiated in 1999) was 4.9 million metric tons, or mmt (Table
1 and Appendix B). The United States made the largest annual commitment, 2.5 mmt or 51% of
the total. The combined EU commitment (European Commission and EU member countries) was
around 27%. Commitments by Canada, Japan, and Australia were, respectively, 8.6%, 6.1%, and
5.1%.
Table 1. Annual FAC Food Aid Commitments and Annual Average Shipments
(metric tons wheat equivalent)
Annual Commitments
Percent
Average Food Aid Shipments 1999-2012
Percent
Argentina 35,000
0.72%
1,753
0.02%
Australia 250,000
5.11%
222,757
2.83%
Canada 420,000
8.58%
478,940
6.08%
EU 1,320,000
26.97%
2,062,203
26.18%
Japan 300,000
6.13%
529,886
6.73%
Norway 30,000
0.61%
94,310
1.20%
Switzerland 40,000
0.82%
63,091
0.80%
USA 2,500,000
51.07%
4,422,696
56.16%
Total 4,895,000
100.00%
7,875,637
100.00%
Source: International Grains Council Food Aid Committee, The Food Aid Convention.
Although the FAC expired in 2003, a working committee of the IGC was established to prepare
for its renegotiation. The Food Aid Committee of the IGC meets periodically to review donor
food aid contributions in relation to commitments under the 1999 FAC and to global food needs.
At their biennial meeting in December 2010, the members of the Food Aid Committee agreed to
begin the formal process of renegotiating the Food Aid Convention.1 Negotiations for a new FAC
were completed in 2012. The Food Aid Convention was renamed the Food Assistance Convention
1 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.
Congressional Research Service
1
International Food Aid: U.S. and Other Donor Contributions
to reflect the fact that food aid included not only commodities but also cash-based forms of
assistance to provide food security.2 Commitments under the new convention are pending.
Food Aid Shipments under the FAC
The United States is the major contributor to international food aid, supplying on average, since
1995, around 56% 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).3 U.S. contributions have averaged 4.4 mmt annually, but U.S. food aid shipments
have varied from year to year (Appendix A).4 The lowest amount shipped was 2.2 mmt in
2010/2011; the largest shipments, 7.1 mmt, were in 2001/2002. U.S. shipments of commodity
food aid were 2.8 mmt in 2011/2012,.
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 2.1 mmt
or 26% of average annual food aid shipments. Japan and Canada provided 7% and 6%,
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
and the EU together contributed 82% of shipments under the FAC. 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.
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
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.5
2 The text of the Food Assistance Convention may be accessed at http://www.foodaidconvention.org/Pdf/
FoodAssistance/FoodAssistance.pdf.
3 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.
4 Data on food aid shipments provided by the International Grains Council are reported on a wheat marketing year basis
(July-June).
5 International Grains Council, Food Aid Committee, Food Aid Operations 2011/2012: Report on Operations by
Members of the Food Aid Convention, September 2013, viewed at http://foodaidconvention.org/Pdf/annual_reports/
faoperations_1112.pdf.
Congressional Research Service
2
International Food Aid: U.S. and Other Donor Contributions
Figure 1. Average Annual Food Aid Shipments (%) in Wheat Equivalent by Major
FAC Donors, 1995/1996-2011/2012
Australia, 2.83%
Argentina, 0.02%
Canada, 6.08%
EU, 26.19%
USA, 56.16%
Japan, 6.73%
Norway, 1.20%
Switzerland, 0.80%
Source: Food Aid Operations 2011/12, International Grains Council Food Aid Committee.
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. U.S. and other donor contributions to the WFP
are not in addition to, but are included in, the data reported in Figure 1 and Appendix A.
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 18 years around 43% of total WFP contributions
Figure 2 and Appendix B). Over that same 18-year period, the EU (European Commission plus
EU member countries’ contributions) accounted for 28% of total WFP contributions. Japan,
whose contributions are in cash, provided around 6%. The remaining donors combined provided
22% to WFP food aid resources.
Congressional Research Service
3
International Food Aid: U.S. and Other Donor Contributions
Figure 2. Food Aid Contributions by Donors to the World Food Program, 1996-2013
Other, 21.8%
USA, 42.8%
Japan, 5.7%
EU, 28.3%
Source: World Food Programme.
Note: Data as of October 20, 2013.
Congressional Research Service
4
International Food Aid: U.S. and Other Donor Contributions
Appendix A. Annual Food Aid Shipments by FAC
Donors, 1995/96-2011/12
1995/96 1996/97
1997/98 1998/99 1999/00 2000/01 2001/02
(metric tons wheat equivalent)
Argentina 13,400
0
0 10,135
2,740
0
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 0 0
0 0 0 0 0
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
2009/10 2010/11
2011/12
Total Annual Average
(metric tons wheat equivalent)
(percent)
(metric tons)
Argentina 0 0
0
26,301
0.02%
1,753
Australia 165,081 185,067
247,094
3,786,873 2.83% 222,757
Canada 524,148
603,760
732,428
8,141,983 6.08% 478,940
EU 1,691,765
1,463,241
968,764
35,057,455
26.19%
2,062,203
Japan 691,326
915,223
744,918
9,008,058
6.73%
529,886
Norway 62,774
109,885
51,012
1,603,275 1.20% 94,310
Switzerland 47,861 97,738
71,139
1,072,547
0.80%
63,091
USA 3,745,514
2,209,249
2,854,828
75,185,838
56.16%
4,422,696
Total 6,928,469
5,584,163
5,670,183
133,882,330
100.00%
7,875,431
Source: International Grains Council Food Aid Committee, Food Aid Shipments renamed to Food Aid Operations,
various issues.
Congressional Research Service
5
Appendix B. Annual Food Aid Contributions by Donors to the World Food
Program, 1996-2013
(thousand dol ars)
Government
Donors
1996* 1997* 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
United States of America
494,980 408,380 873,051 721,157 795,676
1,201,223 938,185
1,458,638
European
Union
603,981 550,522 522,921 465,575 442,999 449,787 563,170 623,956
EU
Commission
196,873 237,254 184,645 167,576 117,794 126,833 177,326 200,874
EU
Countries
407,108 313,269 338,276 298,000 325,205 322,953 385,844 423,081
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 10 2 0 99
Czech
Republic
20 590 37 100 0 175
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 14,940
Germany
96,036 68,487 61,779 53,089 46,750 58,228 60,920 46,503
Greece
150
170 0 0 0 0 0 0
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
CRS-6
Government
Donors
1996* 1997* 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
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
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
222,166 253,647 125,027 195,058 135,011 151,707 852,568 760,570
Total
Government
Donors
0
0 1,720,488 1,509,679 1,682,692 1,916,877 1,833,487 2,541,244
Total Financial Institutions, Pooled Funding, and Private Sector Donors
0
0
4,479
2,833
11,149
4,125
709,050
567,789
Total
1,445,159 1,311,540 1,724,966 1,512,512 1,693,841 1,921,002 2,542,536 3,109,034
Government
Donors
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
United States of America
1,065,020 1,173,720 1,123,291 1,184,181 2,070,435 1,767,852 1,552,743 1,239,077
European
Union
695,550 868,169 743,215 758,105
1,254,938
1,167,955 975,747
1,054,743
EU
Commission
200,501 263,940 265,762 250,437 355,435 343,063 289,928 258,587
EU
Countries
495,049 604,229 477,453 507,668 899,503 824,892 685,818 796,156
Austria
2,189 4,093 1,839 3,794 3,935 1,722 1,329 733
Belgium
11,705 13,941 11,132 17,642 24,784 39,111 37,691 36,957
Bulgaria
5 0 10 10 15 0 0 0
Cyprus
5 0 400 656 200 814 690 0
Czech
Republic
98
1,236 308 574 817 309 159 237
Denmark
43,436 53,202 43,817 44,731 56,608 41,890 41,112 45,751
CRS-7
Government
Donors
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Estonia
0 0 0 42
242 0
240 71
Finland
18,000 23,794 18,319 25,567 28,257 28,799 26,643 29,902
France
30,424 37,809 25,325 32,121 40,369 21,701 20,127 38,269
Germany
65,331 69,533 59,680 65,836 100,752 132,118 95,824 194,777
Greece
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Hungary
65 120 65 65 65 65 65 15
Ireland
13,684 19,820 31,005 34,443 39,821 22,549 19,318 27,010
Italy
47,929 45,790 12,392 31,601 101,920 30,058 24,052 27,392
Latvia
0 0 0 0 0 0 37 0
Lithuania
0 0
112
306 27 0 0 0
Luxembourg
5,413 10,933 15,387 12,207 14,276 12,987 12,789 11,575
Malta
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Netherlands
77,740 115,352 80,023 75,663 117,505 77,594 74,424 73,059
Poland
356 200
1,200 755
1,164 535 691 465
Portugal
723 874 488 111 111 112 0 0
Romania
0 0 0
147
301 75 72 0
Slovakia
25 30 48 44 72 30 15 15
Slovenia
34 97 0 107 135 108 119 196
Spain
17,466 11,552 16,993 29,641 117,460 214,204 82,635 68,024
Sweden
44,540 84,259 58,520 64,754 81,708 72,487 90,660 97,832
UK
115,884 111,595 100,390 66,851 168,961 127,624 157,127 143,877
Japan
135,730 160,472 71,381 118,870 178,323 202,905 214,762 282,026
Al
Others
774,050 637,996 609,321 638,702
1,835,667 754,309 916,726
1,123,170
Total
Government
Donors
2,226,391 2,671,577 2,406,395 2,510,582 4,661,191 3,697,813 3,459,400 3,398,247
Total Financial Institutions, Pooled Funding, and Private Sector Donors
559,843
280,374
241,202
256,128
847,132
322,832
357,704 444,646
Total
2,786,234 2,951,951 2,647,598 2,766,710 5,508,324 4,020,645 3,817,104 3,842,893
CRS-8
Government Donors
2012
as of October 20, 2013
Total
United States of America
1,462,478 1,368,718
20,887,505
European Union
1,083,167 1,036,706
13,834,778
EU Commission
386,136 223,930
4,247,909
EU Countries
697,031 812,777
9,586,868
Austria
1,082 1,185
48,598
Belgium
14,448 36,307
333,817
Bulgaria
0 208
248
Cyprus
5 3
2,767
Czech Republic
399 200
4,326
Denmark
43,510 52,638
814,401
Estonia
180 158
787
Finland
25,999 20,397
369,055
France
30,747 22,600
485,045
Germany
150,055 139,831
1,565,019
Greece
0 0
27,958
Hungary
85 10
954
Ireland
20,002 15,964
297,596
Italy
14,592 21,540
532,786
Latvia
0 0
37
Lithuania
0 0
446
Luxembourg
9,920 11,948
127,914
Malta
0 0
29
Netherlands
75,255 57,967
1,280,937
Poland
744 0
7,647
Portugal
99 0
5,792
Romania
40 0
635
Slovakia
18 0
1,581
CRS-9
Government Donors
2012
as of October 20, 2013
Total
Slovenia
0 39
1,297
Spain
12,524 811
616,474
Sweden
95,181 86,173
1,029,363
UK
202,145 344,799
2,030,328
Japan
190,749 215,367
2,796,842
All Others
1,139,317 785,664
10,630,857
Total Government Donors
3,663,113 1,936,302
41,805,981
Total Financial Institutions, Pooled Funding, and Private Sector Donors
414,743
270,361
2,738,009
Total
4,077,856 3,751,255
48,845,280
Source: World Food Program. 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.
CRS-10
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
11