JOB/AG/148  
 
14 November 2018  
(18-7142) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Agriculture  
Special Session  Original: English  
 
IMPACT OF EXPORT PRO HIBITIONS OR RESTRIC TIONS ON  FOODSTUFFS  
PURCHASED FOR NON -COMMERCIAL HUMANITARIA N PURPOSES  
BY THE WORLD FOOD PR OGRAMME  (WFP)  
COMMUNICATION FROM S INGAPORE  
The following communication, dated 12 November 2018, is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation of Singapore . 
 
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1.   This paper serves to highlight the impact of export prohibitions or restrictions on foodstuffs 
purchased for non -comm ercial humanitarian purposes by the WFP.  
Background  
2.   The WFP provided direct food assistance to some 91.4 million people around the world in 2017 , 
including by delivering food assistance in emergencies. In 2017, 80%  of the food purchased by the 
WFP c ame from developing countries. By buying food as close as possible to where it is needed, 
time and money can be saved on transport costs, while helping to sustain local economies.1 The 
quantity of foodstuff purchased by the WFP relative to total world trade is s mall and does not distort 
trade.  
Impact of export prohibitions or restrictions  
3.   Export prohibitions or restrictions engender significant inefficiencies in humanitarian food 
assistance delivery by the WFP. Fo r example, according to the WFP, in recent years : 
• An East African country implemented an export ban on maize. To provide maize to another 
East African country, the WFP had to source from another African country outside East Africa, 
and occasionally from the Latin America and the Caribbean region. This sig nificantly 
increased the transport and procurement costs, tripled the amount of time to deliver the 
foodstuffs to people facing hunger, and resulted in at least 3.9 million meals lost. The export 
ban also depressed the prices of maize due to reduced demand  in the country with the export 
ban. This resulted in small holder farmers achieving lower prices for their produce.  
• A Middle Eastern country placed an export ban on rice. As the WFP needed this rice to feed 
people facing hunger in neighbouring countries, it had to purchase from a South Asian 
country instead. As the new source was much further in distance, more time and money was 
needed to transport the rice. The estimated increase in cost was US$600,000 per month for 
some months. The WFP also faced losses due to water damage and infestation during transit 
of the produce, resulting in the WFP feeding fewer beneficiaries.  
                                                
1 http:// www.wfp.org/overview . JOB/AG/148  
 
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  4.   The impact of export prohibitions or restrictions on foodstuffs purchased for non -commercial 
humanitarian purposes by the WFP thus includes:  
(i) Increased amount of time to deliver food when it is needed the most and hardest to 
access;  
(ii) Increased risk of food being lost due to longer transportation times and changes to the 
supply chain;  
(iii) Increased administration costs;  
(iv) Increased transportat ion and distribution costs;  
(v) Increased amount of lead -time needed to procure food, even though the situation may 
be urgent;  
(vi) Inability to ensure stable food supply to the most vulnerable; and  
(vii) Fewer beneficiaries receiving food from the WFP. Between 2015 and 2017: 54.5% of the 
WFP's direct expenditure went to Sub -Saharan Africa; 3 3.8% went to the Middle East 
and North Africa ; 8.7% went to Asia and the Pacific; 2 .2% to Latin America and the 
Caribbean ; and 0.8% to Eastern Europe, Southern Europe and the Commonwe alth of 
Independent States . 
Conclusion  
5.   According to the latest estimates , in 2017, around 821 million (1  in 9) people were 
undernourished, and data suggests that the number of people who suffer from hunger has been 
growing over the past three years, returning to levels from almost a decade ago.2 While the WFP is 
working to deliver food assistance in emergenc y situations, export prohibitions or restrictions on 
foodstuffs purchased for non -commercial humanitarian purposes by the WFP affects their work and 
the attainment of Sustainable Development Goal 2 of ending hunger, achieving food security and 
improved nut rition and promoting sustainable agriculture.   
 
 
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2 FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO , 2018, "The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World  - 
Building Climate Resilience for Food Security and Nutrition ", Rome, FAO.