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WFP official urges local procurement to shield aid as hunger surges in Haiti and worldwide
Summary
Jean Martin Bauer, director of food security and nutrition analysis at the World Food Programme, said on the United Nations podcast Awake at Night that localization — buying from local farmers — helped WFP keep food flowing in Haiti after looting and that global acute food insecurity has risen sharply, requiring urgent action.
Jean Martin Bauer, director of food security and nutrition analysis at the World Food Programme, told the United Nations podcast Awake at Night that violent disruption and funding cuts have pushed the agency to shift toward buying food locally to protect aid operations and support farmers.
"When you purchase food from local farmers, from a local cooperative, you're providing employment to dozens of people," Bauer said, describing how local procurement changed the equation for WFP during recent crises in Haiti. He said that by shortening supply chains and using Haitian-grown food, WFP was able to keep programs running when ports and roads were closed.
Bauer outlined two episodes of large-scale looting in Haiti in 2022 and 2024 that destroyed WFP stores and briefly halted deliveries. "The warehouse was ransacked, looted, and burned to the ground,"…
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