From the global to the local: rising food prices and their impact on territories and their populations

 

In March 2022, the FAO food price index reached its highest level (160 points) since its inception in 1990, and now averages 158.2 points in April 2022, down 0.8% from the March increase and, as a result, remains at historical levels. Fertilizer and fuel prices have also increased significantly, and the affordability of food has decreased, impacting on the food and nutrition security of populations.

FAO sees three main types of risks to global food security: the direct effects of conflict on world food and agriculture, those related to macro and cross-cutting factors, and risks related to the humanitarian aspect.

As we all know, both Ukraine and the Russian Federation are important players in world commodity markets, and the uncertainty surrounding the conflict led to a significant additional increase in world market prices, particularly for wheat, maize and oilseeds. This increase added to already high prices driven by strong demand and weather events that impacted major food-producing countries and high input costs as a result of the COVID-19 recovery.

Price increases always have implications for food security, in particular for people living in poverty and for vulnerable population groups and those living in lagging territories. The crisis represents a food security challenge for many countries, and especially for low-income countries that depend on food imports.

To face these phenomena, countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, including subnational governments, are adopting different measures, aimed at favoring producers and consumers, associated to the guarantee of physical and economic access to healthy food, such as social protection programmes, the distribution of basic food baskets or food assistance to vulnerable populations, the increase in public procurement and school feeding programmes, and finally incentives to local food production and marketing.

The objective of this virtual seminar is to promote a space for open dialogue between local authorities on the local impact of the global food crisis and to share experiences and measures that can be taken in the territories. Finally, the aim is to discuss how the Network of Intermediary Cities and Food Systems can offer a space for collaboration, information, and support for this problem.

 

Audience:

Mayors, municipal teams, public and private actors in the urban agri-food sector of cities in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The event will be broadcast live on FAO and partners' broadcasting platforms.

 

Speakers

FAO

Intermediary Cities and Food Systems Network

Municipality of Canelones, Uruguay

Rikolto

ICLEI