The World Food Programme (WFP), a UN aid agency and one of the biggest food buyers in the world, on Friday said it had procured 1.25 billion euros (1.69 billion dollars) worth of food aid last year. "This food came from 96 nations, including Ethiopia, Vietnam and Guatemala, and helped people affected by the epic flooding in Pakistan, the earthquake in Haiti and the drought in the Sahel region of Africa," WFP said in a statement.
"During a time of record food prices, this investment saves lives and protects livelihoods by harnessing the purchasing power of WFP... to invest in the agricultural economies of developing nations," it added. The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), another UN agency that is also based in Rome, said global food prices hit a record high last month due to droughts and market volatility and warned that this could foment unrest. The WFP said that more than 80 percent of all the food bought by WFP in 2010 had come from developing countries - the highest ever proportion to come from the developing world.
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