When the World Food Program was created in 1961, it was designed to fight hunger by redistributing surplus food. Fifty years ago, natural disasters, such as floods and droughts, were more predictable. For example, droughts used to happen only every 10 years in Karamoja, Uganda. The interval shortened in the 1990s and now since 2006, there are yearly droughts.
Today, the WFP is trying to address the problem at the source by investing in finding regional solutions rather than just providing food aid when there is a shortage. The WFP will launch a new program in Uganda in three months that will use innovative practices to provide long-term solutions. They are developing better water harvesting techniques, seed multiplication and implementing Purchase for Progress, which is designed to expand small-scale farmers’ access to markets.
--Jessica Milstead
Source: allafrica.com
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