Getting the recipe right for US food aid

Changing the food the US government supplies as aid could deliver better results and still save money, a new study says. The review for the US Agency for International Development (USAID) by researchers at the Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy has been welcomed by NGOs and US food aid experts, but the findings have also come in for some criticism.

The two-year review considered if USAID food aid was up to date with current science, especially in its use of blended food and whether programmes matched the right products with expected outcomes.

“What we’re recommending is approaches to enhance the many great things already being done with US food aid under the most difficult circumstances imaginable,” Amelia Reese Masterson, research coordinator of the review, wrote to IRIN, referring in part to USAID’s budget pressures.

The review came up with 20 recommendations on some of the food products and programmes under Title II of the US Food for Peace Act, which covers food aid provided in emergency and non-emergency situations.

For more information: http://irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportID=92717