Back to relief the global food aid regime in the post-Cold War era

Since the World Food Conference in 1975, a number of significant initiatives have been undertaken to improve the delivery of food aid and the development of a food aid regime. However, despite the positive developments of the 1980s, food aid distribution patterns have increasingly shifted towards humanitarian crises, especially, of the African subcontinent, and to Eastern European countries in their transition to market economics. I While some shifts reflect an increased responsiveness to humanitarian concerns, other trends suggest that the development oriented food aid is becoming increasingly a residual factor in donor programs. This paper explores the implications of these trends for the future evolution of the global food aid regime and the policies of both the World Food Program and bilateral donors.