Second, are there quicker and more flexible responses to emergencies?
When there is an outright shortfall in food availability, and when markets do not function adequately, food aid has an undeniably important impact in emergencies. It saves lives! But shipping food across oceans can be expensive and slow. With all our technological advances over the past 50 years and the rise in transportation costs, there is still no rapid, cost-effective way to get tons of food from here to Darfur. What is the potential for procuring and transporting commodities from areas closer to the targeted populations in need? This flexibility, especially in the early months of an emergency, may help organizations to more rapidly distribute food and other resources. Third, what is the future of monetization? Monetized food is a valuable, flexible resource. With cash resources severely limited, PVOs have converted an increasing share of food aid into cash. Through monetization, PVOs have improved the nutritional status of children, increased agricultural productivity, helped deve
