In more than half a century of humanitarian engagement, we have learned that fighting hunger is not a straightforward proposition. It requires collective action on various levels, aimed at various groups, drawing on various contexts and including various stakeholders. We have learned that fighting hunger involves not just delivering food, but also transferring cash; not just transferring cash, but transferring knowledge; not knowledge in a void, but knowledge that makes local sense; and not just knowledge we own, but knowledge derived from conversations of equals.

The diversity of national settings, the gradations of peace and conflict, a changing climate and the complexity of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development all dictate that the World Food Programme (WFP)’s offer must be subtly calibrated, made up of an expanding range of tools and approaches. Used singly or in combination, always tailored and never identical, these tools and approaches express our current thinking about the best way to achieve Zero Hunger.

In practical terms, our offer consists of:

  • food assistance supplied directly to families or individuals, in kind or as cash, itself physical or electronic;
  • country capacity strengthening – or direct support to national stakeholders, whether governments or civil society, to design and implement Zero Hunger strategies and programmes;
  • and South-South and triangular cooperation – that is, the facilitation of exchanges of experience; knowledge; policy support; cash or in-kind contributions; or other forms of assistance, among two or more developing countries, to advance national humanitarian or development goals.
Show more
54 country offices
of the 85 countries in which WFP was present supported strengthening of national capacities in 2015
60% of WFP's country offices
engaged in South-South cooperation activities in 2015
84 operations
across 54 countries where WFP has used cash-based transfers to provide food assistance in 2016

Related topics

Related publications

Show more

In focus