International co-operation minister Bev Oda has announced a $350 million, five-year federal government commitment to international food aid.
The Winnipeg-based Canadian Foodgrains Bank is a key beneficiary.
Oda told a Parliament Hill news conference today that Ottawa will send $225 million to the United Nations World Food Programme over five years: $125 million for food aid and $100 million for school meal programs.
The foodgrains bank was promised $25 million annually for five years.
Jim Cornelius, executive director of the foodgrains bank, said the government commitment preserves for five more years the level of funding it received last year, which the Conservatives had increased by 56 percent.
“This funding will help the foodgrains bank to help many more hungry people,” he told reporters.
The group spent $38 million last year to help feed 2.3 million in 35 countries.
The Canadian International Development Agency chose the Foodgrains Bank several years ago as one of two funnels for Canadian food aid donations and the only private sector provider. Funds that do not go through the church-funded aid group go directly to the World Food Programme.
WFP executive director Josette Sheeran was in Ottawa this week to sign a five-year agreement with Oda and used the news conference to praise Canada and the Conservative government for its commitment to fighting world hunger.
Canada is the second largest donor to the WFP, the largest food aid organization in the world.
“As we are at a critical time in the fight against hunger, Canadians’ investment and leadership in effective global action is not only saving lives but helping break the circle of hunger and malnutrition,” she said. “This agreement gives us some stability. I want to thank Canada for being a humanitarian leader in the world.”
