Photo Credit: WFP/Ranak Martin
One of the World Food Programme (WFP) and IFPRI’s earliest collaborations was in Bangladesh. In the 1990s, the country suffered food shortages caused by natural disasters and crop failures. In response, WFP and other donors supplied food for the government of Bangladesh to distribute. However, with growing concerns that food aid was not reaching the most vulnerable, WFP called on IFPRI in 2003 to examine the source of food aid “leakages.” IFPRI’s evaluation revealed large inefficiencies in transport, weighing processes, and grain distribution, which accounted for the loss of 8 percent of grain in the distribution system. The evaluation also revealed substantial delays—grain took an average of nine months to reach those in need. To alleviate these problems, IFPRI recommended targeted monetary allocations to improve transportation and distribution, to put accurate, tamper-proof weighing equipment at distribution sites, and to establish regular monitoring by WFP and the government of Bangladesh to ensure beneficiaries receive good quality rations. In 2006, the government implemented IFPRI’s recommendations and established a technical committee to monitor progress. The evidence generated by the IFPRI-WFP partnership allowed the government to reduce leakage and improve food security for the most vulnerable.
For more information on IFPRI's work in partnership with WFP, please go to this brochure.
