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Who’s afraid of high fertilizer prices?

Mar 21st, 2024 • by Brendan Rice and Rob Vos

During 2021 and 2022, global food and fertilizer prices spiked due to several overlapping factors. Demand rose as the world economy emerged from the COVID-19 recession; global supply chains suffered major disruptions associated with the uneven recovery; and the outbreak of war between Russia and Ukraine—both key food and fertilizer producers—generated yet another shock.

Famine in Gaza

Mar 19th, 2024 • by ROB VOS, ISMAHANE ELOUAFI, AND JOHAN SWINNEN

Is it too late to save Gaza’s population from famine? The latest assessment of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) global partnership suggests this is imminent for at least half the population of 2.2 million.

Commodity Prices Continue to Fall in February

Mar 8th, 2024 • by Sara Gustafson

The FAO Food Price Index continued its decline in February, falling marginally due to declines in cereal and vegetable oil prices. The February Index was down 10.5 percent from its 2023 level.

Rising food prices are putting children in harm’s way

Mar 7th, 2024 • by DEREK HEADEY AND MARIE RUEL

The real price of food has risen dramatically in 21st century, with the FAO food price index peaking at an all-time high in March 2022 at 116% above its 2000 value (Figure 1). While food inflation has long been a cause of concern for nutrition agencies in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), new evidence is shedding light on the potential impacts of rising food prices on child malnutrition in LMICs.

Figure 1

The path forward on global food system transformation

Mar 6th, 2024 • by CATERINA RUGGERI LADERCHI, JOHAN SWINNEN, AND TAMSIN ZANDSTRA

Every year, global food systems produce, process, transport, and market the food and agricultural products on which the world relies. However, these same global food systems also play a big role in—and face pressures from—climate impacts, environmental damage, food insecurity and malnutrition, public health problems, and food loss and waste. To tackle these challenges, we must urgently transform food systems. True food system transformation will have to go beyond the agricultural policy reforms enacted during the past 50 years.