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| The average American uses 54 times more resources than the average citizen living in a developing country. People in the developed world spend only 14% to 30% of their income on food, while those in developing countries need to spend 50% to 70% |
According to the statistical data collected, food aid to Bolivia goes back to 1955, when 2,552 metric tonnes of food were donated, after which food aid steadily increased to an alarming extent. At that time, the estimated population was around 3.3 million, in other words, the per capita donation was 0.77 kg., and the highest levels of food aid reached a figure of 278,055 metric tonnes in 1987 for a population of 6.7 million, equivalent to per capita food aid of 41.5 kg. In 32 years, per capita food aid increased by almost 54 times. Since 1987, the volume of food aid has declined and in 1999 72,400 tonnes were received. The main products concerned were wheat and wheat flour.
The increase in food aid had several negative effects on food security, including the following: (i) the creation of a fragile food supply system; (ii) a disincentive to domestic agricultural production; (iii) the diminished importance of local production in relation to self-sufficiency; (iv) a reduction in domestic effective demand; and (v) a change in the dietary habits of Bolivians. Food aid, principally in the form of wheat and wheat flour, has replaced the production and consumption of other indigenous cereals with high yields and very rich in proteins and calories. It is estimated that around 10 per cent of the population has become dependent on the supplementary rations from food aid programmes, which have become a basic element of their daily food intake.