World's poor threatened by rising food prices - report

Earth Times
Posted: 2007-12-04 20:28:00

Food prices are expected to keep rising worldwide in the years ahead due to a number of factors, in turn posing a threat to the world's poor, an international think tank warned Tuesday n a report issued in Beijing. The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) cited income growth, climate change, high energy prices, globalization, and urbanization as factors which were converging to transform food production, markets, and consumption.

In the report "The World Food Situation: New Driving Forces and Required Actions," IFPRI said that in turn, global food demand and prices were likely to rise, threatening the livelihoods and nutrition of poor people in developing countries.

The report was released at the annual general meeting of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR).

"Food prices have been steadily decreasing since the Green Revolution, but the days of falling food prices may be over," said Joachim von Braun, lead author of the report and director general of IFPRI.

"Economic growth has helped to reduce hunger, particularly when it is equitable," added von Braun. "But unfortunately, growth does not always reach the poorest people."

The report recommended what IFPRI termed to be "explicit measures" which policymakers should take to help cushion the effects on poor households.

Among other course of action, it recommended that developed countries should assure "flexible responses" to drastic changes in food prices by eliminating trade barriers and programmes that set aside agriculture resources.

Also, developing countries should increase investment in rural infrastructure and market institutions to improve access to critical agricultural inputs, including fertilizers, seeds, and credit, which are key to enhancing productivity.

And, to counteract rising food prices, national and international research systems, including the CGIAR, should be positioned to invest more heavily in agricultural science and technology to increase agricultural production on a global level, IFPRI said.

The report also called on policymakers to enact social protection measures that focus on early childhood nutrition to mitigate risks associated with reduced food access, particularly for the poorest households.

"Above all, policies must target the world's most poor and hungry people, to ensure that they do not get left behind in the wake of overall economic growth and global progress," von Braun said.

The CGIAR, established in 1971, is a strategic partnership of countries, international and regional organizations and private foundations supporting the work of 15 international agricultural research centers. IFPRI is one of 15 centers supported by the CGIAR.

More information: www.cgiar.org www.ifpri.org