Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Encyclopedia of Food and Agricultural Ethics pp 1–9Cite as

Food Assistance and International Trade

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:

  • 118 Accesses

Synonyms

Food aid

Introduction

The donation and delivery of food assistance is widely viewed as a purely humanitarian endeavor; however, the historical motivations for donor-countries’ food assistance policies are often self-serving. Also, food assistance can generate negative commercial and humanitarian effects in recipient-country markets. Such complications have led to the entanglement of international commercial trade policies and governing architectures with the humanitarian domain of food assistance. Several decades of debate and analysis of these issues have been productive, however, and food assistance policies have evolved to better serve those most in need.

It is worth making a clarification on terminology before proceeding. “Food aid” has traditionally been used to describe “the international sourcing of concessional resources in the form of or for the provision of food” (Barrett and Maxwell 2005). Recent innovations in the way that these resources are provided have led to...

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

References

  • Barrett, C. B., & Maxwell, D. G. (2005). Food aid after fifty years: Recasting its role. New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barrett, C., Mohapatra, S., & Snyder, D. (1999). The dynamic effects of U.S. food aid. Economic Inquiry, 37(4), 647–656.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Canadian International Development Agency (1998). Food aid – synthesis report. Ottawa.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cardwell, R. (2008). Food aid and the WTO: Can new rules be effective? Estey Centre Journal of International Law and Trade Policy, 9(1), 74–93.

    Google Scholar 

  • CODEX Alimentarius (2010). Code of ethics for international trade in food including concessional and food aid transactions. Rome.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gelan, A. U. (2007). Does food aid have disincentive effects on local production? A general equilibrium perspective on food aid in Ethiopia. Food Policy, 32, 436–458.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Headey, D. (2010). Rethinking the global food crisis the role of trade shocks. IFPRI Discussion Paper, Washington, DC. International Food Policy Research Institute.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ho, M. D., & Hanrahan, C. E. (2010). International food aid programs: Background and issues. Washington, DC. Congressional Research Service.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mabuza, M. L., Hendriks, S. L., Ortmann, G. F., & Sithole, M. M. (2009). The impact of food aid on maize prices and production in Swaziland. Agrekon, 48(1), 85–105.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Neumayer, E. (2005). Is the allocation of food aid free from donor interest bias? The Journal of Development Studies, 41(3), 394–411.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nunn, N., & Qian, N. (2010). The determinants of food aid provisions to Africa and the developing world. NBER Working Paper. Boston.

    Google Scholar 

  • Provost, C., & Lawrence, F. (2012). US food aid programme criticised as ‘corporate welfare’ for grain giants. The Guardian.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schultz, T. W. (1960). Value of US farm surpluses to underdeveloped countries. Journal of Farm Economics, 42(5), 1019–1030.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tadesse, G., & Shively, G. (2009). Food aid, food prices, and producer disincentives in Ethiopia. American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 91(4), 942–955.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tschirley, D., & del Castillo, A. M. (2007). Local and regional food aid procurement: An assessment of experience in Africa and elements of good donor practice. MSU International Development Working Paper, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural Economics. East Lansing.

    Google Scholar 

  • United States Department of Agriculture (2012). Adoption of genetically engineered crops in the U.S. Washington, DC.

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams, D. G. (2006). Impact of proposed federal limits on US bagged food aid shipments: Reduction in MSF carrier profits – a risk assessment. Maritime Policy and Management, 33(3), 257–280.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • World Food Programme (2012). 2011 food aid flows. Rome.

    Google Scholar 

  • World Food Programme (n.d.). INTERFAIS database.

    Google Scholar 

  • World Trade Organization (2008). Revised draft modalities for agriculture. Geneva.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agribusiness and Agricultural Economics, University of Manitoba, Room 379 Agriculture Building, Winnipeg, MB, Canada

    Prof. Ryan Cardwell

Authors
  1. Prof. Ryan Cardwell
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ryan Cardwell .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Michigan State University Dept. Philosophy, East Lansing, Michigan, USA

    Paul B. Thompson

  2. University of North Texas Dept. Philosophy & Religion Studies, Denton, Texas, USA

    David M. Kaplan

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2012 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

About this entry

Cite this entry

Cardwell, R. (2012). Food Assistance and International Trade. In: Thompson, P., Kaplan, D. (eds) Encyclopedia of Food and Agricultural Ethics. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6167-4_379-2

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6167-4_379-2

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-007-6167-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Religion and PhilosophyReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Humanities

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation