The world is dealing with various challenges and crises, and tackling hunger is a significant issue. The World Food Program (WFP) is an initiative of the United Nations that works with countries to help needy and vulnerable people get the food they need for survival. WFP is a branch of the United Nations that formulates policies and procedures aiming toward hunger eradication and food security worldwide.
It mainly focuses activities on countries where hunger is a critical issue. It is the world’s largest humanitarian organization dealing with hunger problems worldwide and delivering food assistance in emergencies. It collaborates with different communities to provide food assistance, improve nutrition and build a healthy human society. The World Food Program (WFP) has won the 2020 Nobel Prize for Peace.
Objectives of the World Food Program:
The World Food Program (WFP) aims to bring life-saving assistance and support to tackle the hunger problem. It focuses on ensuring sustainable and resilient livelihoods for people by eradicating the hunger problem in the world. Its activities include emergency assistance, development aid, relief and rehabilitation, and special operations. Most of its work is concentrated in conflict-affected countries, where people are more affected by undernourishment and food security problems.
The WFP is working toward hunger elimination by providing access to food, improving nutrition, and achieving food security. WFP’s work is guided by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) with necessary policy implementation and partnering with other organizations for effective results. The WFP assists vulnerable groups such as children, pregnant and nursing women, and the elderly.
Functioning of the World Food Program:
World Food Program (WFP) was established in 1961 by the United Nations (UN) to help address the problem of world hunger. Its headquarters are in Rome, Italy. The organization works to achieve the sustainable development goal of zero hunger. It pledges to end hunger, improve nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture worldwide to achieve food security.
The WFP extends help to victims affected by both natural and human-made disasters. Its duties involve collecting and transporting food to crisis areas where people are affected by wars and other conflicts, epidemics, pandemics, crop failures, and natural disasters such as floods, droughts, earthquakes, and storms. The WFP not only distributes food aid in emergencies but also provides food assistance to meet the long-term needs of the affected people.
WFP collaborates with several national and global organizations to implement various food security initiatives. WFP is offering assistance in improving the accountability, efficiency & transparency of various countries’ food distribution systems to tackle the problem of hunger and food security. It works in collaboration with two Rome-based UN organizations as follows:
- The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) helps countries set up policies and legislation to support sustainable agriculture.
- The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) finances projects in poor rural areas to help deal with food crises.
Funding for World Food Program:
The funding for WFP is based entirely on voluntary donations. The governments take primary responsibility for funding, but the organization also receives contributions from the private sector and individuals. The source of funds is as follows:
- Governments: Governments are the principal donors of WFP. On average, over 60 governments contribute to the humanitarian and development projects of WFP.
- Corporates: Companies make vital contributions to WFP. Private and non-profit organizations provide funds to support several emergency operations and school meals and to enhance WFP’s infrastructure and supporting capacities.
- Individuals: Individual contributions can also make a substantial difference in the lives of needy people. It includes emergency food supplies during the crisis, feeding school children, etc.
The Indian Scenario:
The World Food Program (WFP) has been working in India since 1963. The initial focus of the organization in India was primarily food distribution. But, India has steadily gained self-sufficiency in cereal production, so the organization has realigned its strategy towards technical assistance to the government in its food safety-related initiatives. The areas in which WFP mainly contributes support and guidance in India are as follows:
- Transforming the public distribution system: WFP in India is working to improve the efficiency of India’s own subsidized food distribution system, which brings supplies of wheat, rice, sugar, and kerosene oil to around 800 million poor people across the country.
- Fortification of government-distributed food: WFP is providing support to boost the nutritional value of the Midday Meal Scheme for Government and Government-aided schools.
- Mapping and monitoring food insecurity: WFP has used vulnerability analysis and mapping techniques to identify areas in different parts of India with food insecurity and directs policy and relief work to target those areas appropriately.
India has gained a significant position in poverty alleviation and improving per capita income, but the malnutrition levels are high. The WFP has developed a strategic plan for India (2019 – 2023) to enable the government to help the most vulnerable people of India to meet their minimum food and nutrition requirements. The target is to provide people suffering from a high risk of food scarcity, especially women, children, and adolescent girls, with improved nutrition by 2025.
The Strategic Plan of World Food Program (2022-2025):
The strategic plan for 2022-2025 by WFP outlines the measures to be taken by WFP, in partnership with other agencies and countries to effectively save and change the lives of people suffering from hunger. The strategy is based on achieving a global commitment to sustainable development goals. The strategic plan describes the vision for 2030 as eradicating food insecurity and malnutrition worldwide. The strategic plan emphasizes the interrelation of the sustainable development goals and WFP’s activities to achieve the goals. WFP focuses on the key factors of hunger, such as conflict, climate crisis, and economic instability, and drives efforts to generate positive results. WFP’s vision to fight against hunger relies on the following outcomes:
- People become capable of meeting their urgent food and nutrition needs
- People have better nutrition, health, and education opportunities
- People can maintain improved and sustainable livelihoods
- Humanitarian and development initiatives become more efficient and effective
Important Points about World Food Program:
- The World Food Program works in 123 countries and territories.
- WFP supported more than 128 million people in 2021.
- India ranks 102 out of 117 nations in the Global Hunger Index 2019.
- In February 2022, India signed an agreement with the WFP to distribute 50,000 MT of wheat to Afghanistan as part of humanitarian assistance.
Conclusion:
The World Food Program has received recognition for its serious efforts to combat hunger and its contribution to improving the conditions of people in conflict and disaster-affected areas. It acts as a driving force to protect people suffering from hunger, malnutrition, and food insecurity. It involves other countries and organizations to contribute towards achieving the sustainable goal of zero hunger.