Misconceptions About Food Assistance

International food aid* is a longstanding, valuable instrument for responding to food emergencies around the world. Over the past decade or so, the food assistance toolbox has expanded significantly, beyond the traditional shipment of commodities from donor countries. In order to speed up delivery and reduce costs, most donors now buy a majority of their food aid commodities in the developing world, a practice known as local or regional purchase or procurement (LRP). Especially since the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, donors increasingly use cash and voucher transfers, instead of food aid, where markets function well and people suffer acute undernutrition mainly due to a collapse in purchasing power. The food aid basket has also changed markedly to include a wider assortment of special food products formulated to address the varied nutritional needs of distinct target populations, including severely undernourished infants or lactating women. In spite of growing evidence of its effectiveness, the new food assistance toolbox faces some resistance. Misconceptions abound, in part because of limited experience with some new tools, and in part because of political opposition to changing policies and practices on the part of specific interest groups. This brief aims to dispel some of the myths that surround the newer components of the international food assistance toolbox.