Food aid and the challenge of food security in Africa

Over the last half a century, food aid has remained one of the main strategies of assisting the hungry in the world, particularly Africa. Despite the positive aspects of food aid, and authorizations of some studies such as Singer who argue that there is no correlation between the receipt of food aid and decrease of domestic agriculture production, many others challenge its effectiveness, targeting, beneficiary selection criteria and post-distribution monitoring strategies. It has also been accused of fostering a dependency. This article examines, whether or not food aid is a help to Africa, politics of food aid in terms of profitability and its impact on the food security in Africa. The article also discusses the role of African leadership in food aid advancement and agriculture production and recommends a way forward in ending hunger. © 2014 Society for International Development.