Grant Assistance for the Food Aid Project (KR)

Grant Assistance for the Food Aid Project (KR) is grant aid provided to developing countries with food shortages for the purpose of buying rice, wheat, maize or other grains. Based on the food aid rules of the International Grain Agreement, which came into effect as part of the Kennedy Round (KR) at GATT in 1967, it began in 1968 and is referred to as "KR" because it came out of the Kennedy Round.

JICS' Role

Since 2001, JICS, in accordance with contracts with developing countries' governments, has been serving as a procurement management agent helping ensure the fair and rapid procurement of food. It also acts as the secretariat for intergovernmental committees following up on how the food procured was distributed and monitoring accumulation of counterpart funds.

[Counterpart funds]

Developing countries' governments set aside local currency funds equivalent to a certain amount of the value of equipment procured by grant aid. These funds are then used for local economic and social development projects after consultation with the Japanese government.