The European Union and the World Food Programme (WFP)

WFP (created in 1961 and operational in 1963) is the food assistance programme of the United Nations. Its mission is to meet the emergency needs of victims of natural and man-made disasters, displaced people, and more generally the world's hungry poor. The agency also provides the logistics support necessary to deliver food aid to the right people at the right time and at the right place.

Since it was founded, WFP has fed more than 1.4 billion people, and invested more than USD 3 billion in emergency relief and rehabilitation. On average, WFP aims to reach more than 80 million people with food assistance in more than 80 countries.

WFP relies entirely on voluntary contributions, made either as cash, food or basic items necessary to grow, store and cook food. Governments are the principal source of funds, but businesses and the private sector increasingly provide their own contributions. WFP Projected Income for 2016 is USD 4.9 billion.

The EU as a whole (i.e. the EU countries and the Commission) is one of the world's main humanitarian aid donors; the Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO) is the service of the European Commission responsible for this sensible task and is directly concerned by WFP activities. ECHO’s mandate is to provide emergency assistance and relief to the victims of natural disasters or armed conflict outside the EU. The aid is intended to go directly to those in distress, irrespective of race, religion, or political convictions.

The EU is a Permanent Observer at the Executive Board of the WFP. The EU Delegation in Rome represents the EU at WFP and attends WFP Executive Board meetings in close cooperation and exchange with the European Commission Directorate-General for Humanitarian Aid (DG ECHO). It delivers statements “on behalf of the European Union and its Member States”, which are agreed at the EU Council Working Group on Humanitarian Aid and Food Aid (COHAFA).

The WFP and the EU cooperate closely in running EU-funded campaigns (notably regarding humanitarian aid), organising media trips, as well as other communication activities. WFP is an active and reliable partner in terms of visibility both in headquarters and in the field. EU-WFP priorities for cooperation are defined through regular Strategic Dialogues, the last one  taking place in Brussels in November 2025 and confirming that supply chain reform is at the centre of the Humanitarian Reset.

The EU and WFP are long-standing and strong partners, sharing similar priorities in major crises and emergencies. The EU supports WFP mainly for emergency response and transitional situations, acknowledging the capacity of this partner, as the world’s largest humanitarian organisation for large-scale response and extensive field presence, logistics, telecommunications and procurement capacity, early warning, needs assessment and vulnerability analysis in support of targeted food assistance and nutrition interventions and safety nets. 

Since 2016, WFP has been the EU’s largest humanitarian partner from operations to policy and advocacy, and the EU has consistently been one of WFP’s largest contributors with very good cooperation across the Board and at all levels. In view of rising humanitarian needs, it is crucial to continue advocating for WFP to strengthen its capacities in emergency response while working in partnership with other mandated actors, especially with FAO when it comes to resilience-building efforts. The interaction between the Humanitarian Reset and UN80 offers the opportunity to advance the humanitarian-development-peace nexus, particularly in fragile and conflict-affected settings, which remains a flagship EU priority. 

Funded entirely by voluntary contributions from Governments, private sector donors, and individuals, WFP operated in 2025 on an annual budget of USD 6.4 billion to deliver emergency aid and support resilience-building initiatives. In 2025, the EU’s contribution to WFP amounted to USD 593 million, making the EU the second largest donor after the US.