Context: The 2020 Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP).

• With this the WFP is the 28th organisation awarded the Nobel Peace Prize since its inception in 1901.

Key efforts of WFP

• The World Food Programme (WFP) was honoured for its efforts to combat hunger, for its contribution to bettering conditions for peace in conflict-affected areas and for acting as a driving force in efforts to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict.
• “In the face of the pandemic, the World Food Programme has demonstrated an impressive ability to intensify its efforts. As the organisation itself has stated, ‘Until the day we have a medical vaccine, food is the best vaccine against chaos.
• In 2019, it assisted 97 million people – the largest number since 2012 – in 88 countries, says the WFP. 
• The same year, it delivered about 4.4 million tonnes of food, purchased $1.7 billion worth of food from 91 countries, and $762 million worth of goods and services from 156 countries. 
• On any given day, WFP has 5,600 trucks, 30 ships and nearly 100 planes on the move, delivering food and other assistance to those in most need.
• “Every year, they distribute more than 15 billion rations at an estimated average cost per ration of US$ 0.61. 
• These numbers lie at the roots of WFP’s unparalleled reputation as an emergency responder, one that gets the job done quickly at scale in the most difficult environments.

Why does the world need a food programme?

• Eradicating hunger is one of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals to be achieved by 2030. The WFP is the UN’s primary agency that works towards this goal. 
• According to the WFP, there are 690 million hungry people around the world and around 60% of them live in countries affected by conflict.
• The number of hungry people is expected to increase further due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
• The WFP estimates suggest that by 2030, nearly half of the global poor will be living in fragile and conflict-affected situations. 
• It says people living in countries with long-running crises are more than twice as likely to be undernourished than people elsewhere (2.5 times as much).

WFP’s role in India

• The WFP has been working in India since 1963, two years after its establishment. Apart from focusing on reforms in the Targeted Public Distribution System, it provides policy inputs, advocacy and technical assistance for improving access to food.
• The WFP has proposed some unique initiatives like Automatic Grain Dispensing Machine (Annapurti) and Mobile Storage Units for the effective implementation of TPDS. 
• Annapurti allows beneficiaries to withdraw their foodgrain quota accurately and at a time of their choice. It can dispense two commodities at a speed of 25 kg per 1.3 minutes. It has a storage capacity of 200 kg to 500 kg.
• According to WFP India, it has completed a pilot on rice fortification used in the government’s Mid-day Meals scheme in Varanasi. Since December 2018, 4,145 tonnes of fortified rice has been produced and fed to 300,000 schoolchildren.
• Even during the pandemic, WFP India has worked with the central and state governments. For instance, it signed an MoU with the Uttar Pradesh State Rural Livelihood Mission. 
• Under the agreement, WFP will provide technical assistance for setting up supplementary nutrition production units in 18 districts for supply of quality food to about 33 lakh beneficiaries of the Anganwadi scheme (Integrated Child Development Services). 
• It has also prepared a guidance note for the re-opening of schools during the pandemic.

Who's won the Nobel Peace Prize before?

• Last year it went to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, whose peace deal with Eritrea ended a 20-year military stalemate following their 1998-2000 border war.

What's the background?

• The Nobel Prize is one of the world's most important awards.
• It was started in accordance with the will of Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel, with the first awards handed out in 1901.
• Nobel Prizes are awarded in several categories to people "who have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind" in the previous 12 months.

The recipient of each Nobel Prize receives three things:

• A Nobel diploma, each of which is a unique work of art
• A Nobel medal
• A cash prize, which is split between winners when there is more than one. They have to deliver a lecture to receive the money
• There have been some years when the prize has not been awarded - mostly during the two world wars.
• Nobel Foundation rules state if nobody deserves the prize in a particular category, it is not awarded and its prize money is kept for the following year.

About WFP

• The World Food Programme (WFP) is the food assistance branch of the United Nations and the world’s largest humanitarian organization addressing hunger and promoting food security.
• The WFP strives to eradicate hunger and malnutrition, with the ultimate goal in mind of eliminating the need for food aid itself.
• It is a member of the United Nations Development Group and part of its Executive Committee.
• Born in 1961, WFP pursues a vision of the world in which every man, woman and child has access at all times to the food needed for an active and healthy life. The WFP is governed by an Executive Board which consists of representatives from member states.
• The WFP operations are funded by voluntary donations from world governments, corporations and private donors. WFP food aid is also directed to fight micronutrient deficiencies, reduce child mortality, improve maternal health, and combat disease, including HIV and AIDS.

The objectives of the World Food Programme are

• Save lives and protect livelihoods in emergencies.
• Support food security and nutrition and (re)build livelihoods in fragile settings and following emergencies.
• Reduce risk and enable people, communities and countries to meet their own food and nutrition needs.
• Reduce under-nutrition and break the inter-generational cycle of hunger.
• Zero Hunger in 2030.