G/AG/GEN/137  
 
4 November 2016  
(16-6074) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Agriculture  Original: English   
 
 SUBMISSION BY THE IN TERNATIONAL GRAINS C OUNCIL ON BEHALF OF  
THE FOOD ASSISTANCE COMMITTEE  
SUBMISSION BY THE IG C 
The following submission, dated 3rd November 2016, is being circulated at the request of the 
International Grains Council (IGC).  
 
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1.1.  The Food Assistance Convention entered into force on 1st January 2013. The Convention 
expands the traditional focus of previous Food Aid Conventions and now incorporates all forms of 
food assistance, including the provision of micronutrients and cash & vouchers to meet the food 
and nutrition needs of the most vulnerable populations.  
1.2.  The key components of the Food Assistance Convention are the Parties ' commitments to 
provide a defined minimum level of food assistance on an annual basis and the agreed pri nciples of 
food assistance.  
1.3.  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 report their food assistance operations, detailing how they 
meet the respective commitments.  
1.4.  There are currently 14 parties who have ratified, accepted or approved the Food Assistance 
Convention (Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, European Union, Finland, Japa n, Luxembourg, 
Russian Federation, Slovenia, Sweden, Spain, Switzerland, United States of America).  
1.5.  Since its entry into force, the Committee has held six sessions in London where it has 
reviewed the curre nt and prospective food situation in developing cou ntries 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 discusse d at the meeting included members' annual 
commitments under the Convention and steps to expand membership.  
1.6.  The Committee has also arranged seminars where international experts made presentations 
and members shared their approaches. Topics of the seminars have included; nutritional 
interventions; cash transfer programming; how the FAC is building resilience; Food Assistance, 
Gender and Accountability and the World Humanitarian Summit.  
1.7.  Members of the Food Assistance Convention issued a joint statement for th e World 
Humanitarian Summit held in Istanbul in May 2016.  
http://www.foodassistanceconvention.org/press/FAC_2015_WHS.pdf . 
1.8.  In June 2016, the FAC organised its first Joint Field M ission to Haiti.  A report on the mission 
including the lessons learned is available at:  
http://www.foodassistanceconvention.org/press/FAC_Field_Mission_Haiti.pdf . 
1.9.  The 7th Session of the Food Assistance Committ ee will be held in London 
on 11 November  2016. A seminar titled "The Role of Early Warning and Analysis to Improve Food 
Security Responses" will be held before the Session.  G/AG/GEN/137  
 
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  1.10.   The narrative reports on food assistan ce by members of the Food Assistance Convention for 
2013 and 2014 are available on the Food Assistance Convention website.  The 2015 report will be 
available shortly:  
http://www.foodassist anceconvention.org/reports.aspx . 
1.11.   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.  
1.12.   For more information on the Food Assistance Convention s ee: 
http://www.foodassistanceconvention.org/ . 
 
 
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