Seven countries, including Canada, and the European Union previously promised to provide about five million tonnes of food aid each year to countries in need. However, the Food Aid Convention — the name of the international agreement — is in need of change, and after several years of delays, the member countries have agreed to begin negotiations on reforming the convention, hopefully by this December, and concluding by June 2011.
To help guide the reform, the Canadian Foodgrains Bank initiated the Trans-Atlantic Food Aid Dialogue, a coalition of North American and European NGOs that will draft proposals for change.
Issues such as rising food prices, climate change and its effects on food availability, and national budget restrictions — all of which impact not only developing countries’ access to food, but wealthier countries’ abilities to provide food aid — will be part of the reform process. — A.M. with files from CFGB
