BY MEGAN TAYLOR MORRISON
A recent update on G-8 actions to improve food security left some international organizations calling for more. The Camp David Accountability Report detailed the progress of G-8 members on fulfilling commitments to the L’Aquila Food Security Initiative that began in 2009. The $22 billion program was created to help low-income countries decrease the vulnerability of their food and agricultural systems, as well as to halve hunger and poverty.
Each participating country is at a different stage of fulfilling its commitment before the deadline at the end of 2012, the report said. And, although L’Aquila donors will commit 99 percent of the funds by then, the report and many organizations such as ActionAid, point out that disbursed funds are a better measure of progress. To have the most significant impact, some argue, the disbursements need to be sped up.
“The disbursed money is money that’s reaching people,” said Katie Campbell, a senior policy analyst at ActionAid. “Governments can commit money but it can take years to get to the field. There’s not necessarily a time frame on that commitment.”
