These categories often overlap operationally, but each is associated with particular characteristics and problems. Bilateral aid implies the transfer of food to a recipient country as a grant or on highly concessional terms, from a single donor or, as in the case of the EU, from an institution created by a particular group of countries. Most of the latter is channelled through the WFP, which is at least partly insulated from political pressures arising from disputes among member countries. It also has the potential to provide disinterested help to very low-income groups in poor countries which lack access to sufficient food, and which are unlikely to benefit from other forms of aid for various reasons. Also, food aid tends to be least plentiful when food is dearest in international markets, and when it is often most needed in poor countries.
Many bilateral donors have political agendas which aid is supposed to support.
Moreover, aid is often a device for helping to balance international accounts. Of course, much of the support for food aid in donor countries is generated by altruistic motives. And most of WFP's resources come from donors with tight and shrinking budgets for multilateral aid. Currently, WFP purchases nearly half of its food, two thirds of this in developing countries.