W F P  -  I F A D   i n   I n d i a

About WFP

Food is not merely a means to survival but the fuel that drives the human body and the economic engine. Guaranteed as a human right in international covenants, the right to food and food security is ethically the most incontrovertible but also the most fragile of human rights.

WFP's vision is a world in which everyone has access at all times to the nourishment they need for a full-life. It believes that the issue of hunger belongs at the top of the international agenda. Founded in 1963 as the food aid arm of the United Nations, WFP is the world's largest international food aid organisation.

Since its inception,  WFP has provided more than $US 1 billion in food and development assistance to India. Over the years, WFP’s more than 70 development projects have included supplementary feeding, supported forestry, livestock and dairy development, irrigation, and rural development activities. Food aid has also been given for over 14 emergency response operations. In addition two Protracted Relief and Rehabilitation Operations were undertaken.

About IFAD The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), a specialized agency of the United Nations was established in 1977 as decided in 1974 World Food Conference. The causes of food insecurity and famine were not so much because of failures in food production, but structural problems relating to poverty and to the fact that the majority of the developing world’s poor populations were concentrated in rural areas. In this context, IFAD was created to mobilize resources on concessional terms for programmes that alleviate rural poverty and improve nutrition. IFAD has a very specific mandate : to combat hunger and rural poverty in developing countries. According to the strategic framework for IFAD, the Fund will continue to work towards enabling the rural poor to overcome their poverty.

Emergence of a Specific Role

In responding to this mandate, IFAD has realized that rural people can enhance their food security and their income only if project designs and activities are built upon their production systems and livelihood strategies. To this end, IFAD has increasingly collaborated with local stakeholders in developing its operations. It has designed and implemented projects and programmes in a wide range of natural, socio-economic and cultural environments, in remote regions and with the poorest and most marginal sectors of rural populations. Through its experience, IFAD has gained valuable insights about what works or does not work to foster the conditions in which the rural poor can enhance their productivity, output and incomes.

IFAD's Contribution   IFAD has recognised that the economic empowerment or rural poor people will not happen simply as a result of the "trickle-down" effect of macro or sectoral investments. Action must address the obstacles faced by rural poor men and women and facilitate their opportunities, in their different and specific circumstances and activities. In addition, the majority of poor and extremely poor (those with incomes below one dollar a day) live in rural areas, helping the poor producers increase their output is often the most effective and in some cases the only way to bring about more rapid overall growth.

IFAD's experience over the last 25 years unequivocally shows that rural people are fully capable both of integrating themselves into the mainstream of development, and of actively contributing to improved economic performance at the national level -provided that the causes of their poverty are understood and conditions are created that are conducive to their efforts. No amount of national or international assistance will radically improve the rural situation unless such transformation is based on the aspirations, assets and activities of rural people -and unless poor people own the change process. Development cannot be done for them. What can be done is to create the conditions that empower the poor to become agents of change.

Working together - WFP and IFAD

The Strategic Framework of IFAD recognizes that IFAD must expand its engagement beyond the immediate impact of 'its' projects and programmes to influence the direction and content of national and international poverty reduction processes. It emphasizes building complementary partnerships and broad alliances to maximise IFAD's contribution to the international community's larger poverty-reduction and food security effort.

In India, United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and IFAD have entered into a MoU to synergise their activities to achieve the common goals of poverty eradication and food security. Through this symbiotic association, these two agencies are sharing infrastructure, logistics and joint funding of projects, supervision and advocacy. The association has culminated in the following three major co-funded projects since 2001.

• Tribal Development Projects for Chattisgarh and Jharkhand

• Gujarat Livelihood Security Project for the earthquake affected areas

• Orissa Tribal Empowerment and Livelihood Project

Current WFP commitment to IFAD projects in India in food assistance is around US $ 10 million or about 42,000 metric tonnes of foodgrains. By sharing insights and pooling experience acquired in their independent operations in India, both IFAD and WFP strive to make an impact on the lives of thousands of poor families in a positive way.