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El Niño Raises Concerns about Food Security as Millions Face Threat of Drought, Floods
The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s National Centers for Environmental Information has predicted a 95 percent chance that the current El Niño cycle will continue through the winter in the Northern Hemisphere, only beginning to gradually weaken in spring 2016. According to NOAA, this El Niño is shaping up to be the strongest one on record since experts began tracking the phenomenon in 1950.
795 million people chronically undernourished, with armed conflict a root cause of hunger
Among the billions of people on the planet, one in nine are chronically undernourished, according to the 2015 Global Hunger Index (GHI) released this week by the International Food Policy Research Institute, Welthungerhilfe, and Concern Worldwide. The 10th annual edition of the report also finds that one in four children are affected by malnutrition-related stunting (low height for age) and nine percent of children are affected by wasting (low weight for height).
Latest FAO Monthly News Report on Grains Released
“Wheat” is the prevailing theme in the September report from the FAO, with eight out of ten news items focusing on policy developments and forecasts related to the commodity.
The FAO Monthly News Report on Grains provides a collection of news articles on issues or factors considered critical in shaping the regional/global grains economy, as well as links to reports, statistics, and upcoming events.
Combating the triple-threat of malnutrition demands political will, quality data, and targeted policy
Among children under the age of five around the world, 161 million are stunted, 51 million are wasted, and 42 million are obese, according to the 2015 Global Nutrition Report released today by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in Washington, DC. The report illustrates that malnutrition takes many forms and affects every country on earth. Whereas some solutions for reducing malnutrition are promising, it does not take the same form nor demand the same policy solutions in every country or context.
Are Lower Commodity Prices a Good Thing?
The Food and Agricultural Organization reports that food prices for August fell 5.2 percent from July levels and down 21.5 percent from last August. The FAO Food Price Index is at the lowest level since April 2009 and down 35 percent from its recent peak in February 2011. Compared to a year ago, prices for cereals, meats, and vegetable oils are down between 15 and 20 percent, while prices for sugar and dairy products are down by about a third.