A/HRC/10/5 page 9 there is “a financial incentive to mistime the delivery of food aid”, which the FAC does not discourage effectively.25 For example, although the prices of food commodities reached historical peaks in 2007-2008, food-aid volumes in those years reached their lowest level since the early 1970s, further illustrating the inverse relationship between food-aid volumes and world prices that typifies food-aid shipments.26 15. This is contrary to the spirit of article VIII (b) of the FAC, which recognizes the need to base food aid on an evaluation of needs by the recipient and the members, and states that food aid “should be aimed at enhancing food security in recipient countries”. The FAO Guidelines also provide that “donor States should ensure that their food aid policies support national efforts by recipient States to achieve food security, and base their food aid provisions on sound needs assessment, targeting especially food insecure and vulnerable groups” (Guideline 15.1). Indeed, that corresponds to a requirement under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: the treaty Committee noted pointedly in its general comment No. 12 on the right to food that, to avoid discrimination, “priority in food aid should be given to the most vulnerable populations”.27 16. Two changes could be made to the system of the FAC in order to ensure that it is effectively needs-based, beyond its still very insufficient emergency clause.28 First, the aid provided to each State should be based on an adequate mapping of food vulnerability and insecurity in that State.29 There are methodologies available for mapping food vulnerability which may be used in the context of FAC. Whatever the methodology used, it is crucial that the situation in each country where food security problems may arise is objectively evaluated. This may also alleviate concerns that the food aid provided distorts commercial trade in favour of the donor country’s producers when the aid is provided in kind. Consistent with Guideline 15.5 of the FAO Guidelines, the assessment of food vulnerability should, as far as possible, be made “in a participatory manner and, whenever possible, in close collaboration with recipient governments at the national and local level”. 25 J. Hoddinott, M.J. Cohen and C.B. Barrett, “Renegotiating the Food Aid Convention: Background, context, and issues”, Global Governance, vol. 14 (3) (2008), pp. 283-304. 26 FAO, State of Food and Agriculture 2008, p. 110. 27 E/C.12/1999/5, para. 38. 28 See article VIII, (j), FAC (“If it appears that, because of a substantial production shortfall or other circumstances, a particular country, region or regions is faced with exceptional food needs, the matter shall be considered by the [Food Aid Committee, which] may recommend that members should respond to the situation by increasing the amount of food aid provided”). 29 See also Conference Report. Food aid: exploring the challenges, Berlin, 2-4 May 2007, p. 20.