Japan's Official Development Assistance White Paper 2008
Next PageMain Text > Part III Official Development Assistance in FY2007 > Chapter 2 Details about Japan's Official Development Assistance > Section 2. Measures for Each of the Priority Issues > 3. Addressing Global Issues > (4) Food
<Record for FY2007>
Japan's record in FY2007 is as follows:
Grant aid: Approx. ¥16.0 billion (to 35 countries)
Grant assistance for underprivileged farmers:
Approx. ¥5.7 billion (to 18 countries)
Grant aid for fisheries: Approx. ¥4.6 billion (to six countries)
Technical cooperation
One expert dispatched51
Grant assistance for underprivileged farmers:
Approx. ¥5.7 billion (to 18 countries)
Grant aid for fisheries: Approx. ¥4.6 billion (to six countries)
Technical cooperation
One expert dispatched51
<Current Status>
Approximately 850 million people in the world are suffering from hunger, and approximately 350 million of them are children.52 Every six seconds a child dies of causes related to hunger. The MDGs set a target of reducing by half the proportion of people who suffer from hunger by 2015. Meanwhile, the need for food aid has been growing due to conflicts, natural disasters, economic crises, and other problems. Of the children in the world suffering from malnutrition, approximately 170 million cannot get meals at school and about 130 million are not going to school at all.
The soaring food prices in recent years have been further increasing the number of people suffering famine and malnutrition in developing countries. The FAO points out that an additional 75 million people fell into hunger in 2007,53 and the World Bank also estimates that around 100 million people are impoverished by the food price hike and an additional 40 million people may be starving in 2008.54 There is also concern that the rising food prices can seriously affect not only the food sector but also the sectors of health, education, and water and sanitation. Comprehensive and consistent multidimensional measures beyond food distribution therefore are needed to deal with the issues associated with the food price rise, such as ensuring social safety nets and improving supply-demand balance with increased food production.
<Japan's Efforts>
Japan provides food aid to developing countries faced with food shortages and supports efforts to improve the food productivity of the developing countries as a mid- to long-term effort.
Food aid is implemented from a humanitarian viewpoint to help those who suffer from hunger. In FY2007, Japan disbursed a total of around ¥16 billion in Food Aid (KR: Kennedy Round) to countries faced with food shortages, such as those in Africa. Of this amount, ¥7.28 billion was provided in the form of bilateral assistance to Nepal, Eritrea, Cabo Verde, Burkina Faso, Haiti, and other countries, and ¥8.68 billion was provided to Timor-Leste, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Palestine, and others through the WFP and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). Japan has been making an active contribution to the WFP in particular, by extending US$120 million in 2007, including Food Aid through the WFP, making Japan the fifth biggest donor.
In order to increase agricultural output, it is also important to improve irrigation facilities and food production technology through technical cooperation and other assistance. In recent years, Japan has been helping Zambia's efforts to diversify edible farm products for food security at the regional and household levels in areas frequently hit by droughts.55 In Uganda, Japan has introduced sustainable irrigation farming that effectively uses water resources in order to increase rice production.56
• Issue of Rising Food Prices
The rising food prices, which are particularly conspicuous since the latter half of 2007, have greatly affected even WFP food assistance programs. In response to the issue, Japan has been actively issuing emergency food aid, and has urged the international society to take united measures on various diplomatic occasions where Japan takes up the issue as the country holding the G8 presidency or hosting an international meeting.