Smallholder farmer participation in local and regional food aid procurement: Assessing the benefits and challenges in Uganda

Local and regional food aid procurement (LRP) - the purchase and distribution of food aid within and between developing countries - has recently become a common occurrence. In contrast to traditional methods of food aid provision, which are costly cross-border operations and are often slow to respond during emergencies, LRP aims to combat food insecurity in a more effective, economical and contained manner. There is a limited amount of research concerning smallholder involvement in small-scale LRP initiatives. This thesis presents a case study that explores LRP's impact on smallholder farmers participating in a World Food Programme (WFP) procurement project in southwestern Uganda. Although this project produces benefits in terms of livelihood development, there are serious challenges that require policy action. Key challenges include problems with WFP procurement contract development, payment procedures and pricing mechanisms; difficulty ensuring the household food security of project participants; and uncertainty about project sustainability.