From the global level to the community level: Discourse and practice. The case of a World Food Programme school feeding project in Peru

The purpose of this thesis is to explore the developmental function of the United Nations' World Food Programme, the world's largest food aid institution. Through a case study of a WFP School Feeding Programme in Peru, entitled PER 4808, this thesis addresses the critiques surrounding WFP's development operations and its efforts to tackle problems of chronic malnutrition in the world. The case study is used to provide an example of a first-hand experience of the challenges faced by WFP in the implementation of its development projects. The case of PER 4808 explores the ways in which the agency's stated commitments can often diverge from the reality of the situation. The findings suggest that the claims that WFP frequently makes in its international level slogans and policy documents may not always be addressed rigorously enough in practice for the agency's development projects to function as intended. While obviously a single case cannot serve as a basis for general conclusions, the evidence found in this case can arguably serve to raise questions for further investigation into WFP's handling of its other School Feeding Programmes. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)...