ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the European Union (EU) food aid policy since 1968 tracing its growth and its relationship to the Food Aid Convention of the International Wheat Agreements and the evolution of the EU cereals programme food aid. It explores the relationship between the Community food aid programme and the fifteen different national food aid programmes of the member states of the Union. The European food aid programme was concerned initially with one food commodity, cereals, and in 1968 the six donated 1 million tonnes as aid. The national food aid policy of Germany, the largest of European donors, emphasises the use of food as a means of providing food security in developing countries. The national food aid policy of France, like German food aid programme, has the twin objectives of humanitarian and development support. The sales of French food aid within recipient countries which generates counterpart funds are earmarked for either rural development projects or for food security stocks.
