After Austria had already actively supported the predecessor convention, the Food Aid Convention, it was only a logical step to join the improved Food Assistance Convention at the earliest opportunity at the beginning of 2013.
Austria's responsibilities in the area of international food aid are organised in such a way that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Regions and Water Management has the main responsibility with the support of the Federal Ministry for Europe and International Affairs (responsible for humanitarian aid and development aid) and the Austrian Development Agency (ADA).
In view of the increasing number of humanitarian crises worldwide caused by conflicts, climate change and economic problems, in 2023 the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Regions and Water Management and the UN World Food Programme signed a strategic partnership agreement for the period from 2023 to 2025. This partnership aims to significantly increase the budget allocation to the WFP with a high degree of flexibility to ensure that funds are used as precisely as possible for those most in need globally. At the heart of this is a 6 million euro contribution to the WFP Immediate Response Account, which will enable the WFP to provide immediate and unrestricted assistance. This core funding is accompanied by support for regional programmes, the selection of which is based on a joint technical assessment by all stakeholders involved.
In addition to its long-standing cooperation with the WFP, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Regions and Water Management represents Austria in the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the Committee on World Food Security (CFS). Currently, FAC-eligible food assistance projects are not only implemented through WFP, but also through FAO.
The scale of the current crises and the inherent limitations of financial resources are forcing all donors to evaluate the accuracy and effectiveness of aid and to look for new, promising approaches. Part of the aforementioned strategic partnership is therefore also the promotion of the WFP Innovation Accelerator, a Munich-based platform for the promotion of innovative project ideas in the field of humanitarian aid.