World's Largest Humanitarian Agency

D. JOHN SHAW was associated with the UN World Food Programme for over thirty years, almost from the start of its operations in 1963, latterly as Economic Adviser and Chief, Policy Affairs Service. He was also consultant to the Commonwealth Secretariat, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the World Bank. Previously, he was a postgraduate in Agricultural Economics at the University of Oxford, UK, Senior Lecturer in Rural Economy at the University of Khartoum, Sudan, and fellow in Agricultural Economics and founder member of the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex, UK. He wrote extensively on development, food security and food aid issues and now serves on the International Editorial Board of the Journal Food Policy.

'If you work in humanitarian crises, you know about the WFP, or you think you do. This meticulous history and analysis of WFP today is essential reading for aid workers, donor institutions and host governments alike. Shaw's meticulous research has created a truly definitive text.' - Peter Walker, Feinstein International Center, Tufts University, USA 'Is the UN an outdated, unchanging, ineffectual backwater? Brilliantly timed for its 50th anniversary, this fascinating account traces how WFP has transformed itself from its food aid origins to become the world's largest humanitarian agency, focused on food security and food assistance. Once again, John Shaw has shown his ability to combine meticulous documentation with a lively well-written story, full of important lessons for UN reform and success.' - Professor Sir Richard Jolly, Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex 'In an industry necessarily focused on saving lives in the short term it's easy to lose sight of the rich history of humanitarian response. This book serves as a magisterial and important reminder of that history and the role played by the World Food Programme within it.' -Paul Harvey, Humanitarian Outcomes 'John Shaw deploys all his great experience and familiarity with the history in describing the great transitions through which WFP has passed. Under the inspired leadership of Josette Sheeran, WFP is undergoing the latest and most remarkable transformation of all: from an agency which deals in food aid to one which focuses on tackling hunger, wherever it may be, and with whatever tool suits best. No longer concerned only with shipping commodities from rich countries to poor ones, WFP is becoming an agency which often buys food locally and increasingly helps poor people not with food parcels but with jobs, food vouchers or even electronic transfers to mobile phones. WFP is the provider of last resort, but also works with developing country Governments to strengthen safety nets and improve social protection. John Shaw's authoritative book chronicles the new maturity of the world's essential instrument for tackling hunger.' -Simon Maxwell CBE, Senior Research Associate, Overseas Development Institute 'A fascinating account of an institution that has shaped the way we define and engage in humanitarian relief. John Shaw's latest book is a brilliant account of the architecture of global institutions: how they are born, how they are transformed, and how they influence our efforts to tackle food security. A timely reflection from a true leader in the field'. - Rajul Pandya-Lorch, International Food Policy Research Institute

• Introduction Historical Background From Development Projects to Emergency Operations: Tipping Points in WFP's Transformation  Emergency Assistance: Transformation Accomplished  Anatomy of WFP Emergency Operations Associated Development Programmes and Projects Transforming Food Aid The Way Ahead: Opportunities and Challenges