G/AG/GEN/143  
 
8 February 2018  
(18-0861) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Agriculture  Original: English  
 
 
SUBMISSION BY THE IN TERNATIONAL GRAINS C OUNCIL  
ON BEHALF OF THE FOO D ASSISTANCE COMMITT EE 
The following submission, dated 7 February  2018, is being circulated at the request of the 
International Grains Council (IGC).  
 
_______________  
 
 
The Food Assistance Convention entered into force on 1 January 2013. The Convention expands 
the traditional focus of previous Food Aid Conventions and now incorporates additional forms of 
food assistance, including the provision of micronutrients and cash & voucher s to meet the food 
and nutrition needs of t he most vulnerable populations.  
 
The key components of the Food Assistance Convention are the Parties ' annual commitments to 
provide a defined minimum level of food assistance on a yearly basis based on the agreed  
principles of food assistance.  
 
Each Party to the Convention makes a minimum annual commitment of food assistance, expressed 
in terms of value (in Party's currency of choice) or quantity, or a combination of both. After each 
calendar year, the Parties rep ort their food assistance operations, detailing how they m eet the 
respective commitments.  
 
There are currently 16 parties who have ratified, accepted or approved the Food Assistance 
Convention (Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, European Union, Finland, France, Japan, Korea 
(Rep. of), Luxembourg, Russian Federation, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden Switzerland, and the United 
States of America).  
 
Since its entry into force, the Committee has held nine sessions in London where it has reviewed 
the current and prospe ctive food situation in developing countries against the background of 
recent developments in world markets for grains, rice and oilseeds. Members also provided 
detailed information on responses to food emergencies, together with planned operations and 
policy developments. Other items discussed at the meeting included members' annual 
commitments under the Convention and steps to expand membership.  
 
The Committee has also arranged various seminars where international experts made 
presentations and members sh ared their approaches. Topics of the seminars have included; 
nutritional interventions; cash transfer programming; how the FAC is building resilience; Food 
Assistance, Gender and Accountability, the World Humanitarian Summit; the role of early warning 
and analysis ; and the crisis in the Sahel.  
 
In line with Rule 12 of the Food Assistance Convention which states that every fifth year after the 
Convention enters into force the Committee is to undertake an assessment of its relevance, at its 
8th Session in Jun e 2017, the Committee discussed the results of a FAC effectiveness survey during 
a seminar titled The Effectiveness of the FAC . Members reflected on how the meeting forums, 
including the annual FAC Report and joint field missions, could better advance the objectives of the 
Convention.  
 
Members of the Food Assistance Convention issued a joint statement i n March 2017 on the FAC 
members'  response to the Famine threat in Four Countries.  
See https://www.foodassistanceconvention.org/en/press/FAC_PR_17_03.pdf  
 G/AG/GEN/143  
 
- 2 - 
 
  The 10th Session of the Food Assistance Committee will be held in London in November 2018.  
 
The narrative reports on food assistance by members of the Food Assistance Convent ion are 
available on the Food Assistance Convention website.  
http://www.foodassistanceconvention.org/reports.aspx  
 
The Food Assistance Convention is open for accession by all food assistance -providing countries, 
including those who were not party to the Food Aid Convention, 1999.  
 
For more information on the Food Assistance Convention see:  
http://www.foodassistanceconvention.o rg/ 
 
__________