DAR ES SALAAM, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) said on Sunday it has set aside 4.5 million U.S. dollars to support innovative ideas aimed at ending hunger, malnutrition and improving food security in Tanzania.

Michael Dunford, WFP country representative for Tanzania, said the financial support followed an analysis by the global food agency that there are huge opportunities for innovation among Tanzanian entrepreneurs that, if well designed and supported, can help in ending malnutrition and hunger.

"We believe that we can do better if we get the best ideas and find a way to make them work at a large scale at the same time having the best innovators to work with," Dunford said.

The WFP announced earlier this year that it was working with authorities to integrate Tanzania into the universal methodology for measuring food security so as to ease international response whenever there is food shortage.