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According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Technical Working Group in Yemen, Governement of Yemen (GoY)-controlled areas of the country have seen a significant and rapid increase in acute malnutrition. By the end of this year, over 118,000 people are expected to be experiencing severe acute malnutrition. This represents an increase of 34 percent from 2023, according to the IPC.

Declining cereal prices drove the FAO Food Price Index down slightly in July despite increasing vegetable oil, meat, and sugar prices. The Index was 3.1 percent lower than its July 2023 level and nearly 25 percent below the high seen in March 2022.

Malnutrition stemming from unhealthy diets is a major food systems challenge impacting the health and well-being of people around the world. High food prices, increasing availability of ultra-processed foods, urbanization, climate change, and other trends have contributed to the overconsumption of unhealthy foods while limiting the accessibility of healthy foods.

In 2022, Central America experienced significant surge in food prices, a trend that was evident in Honduras. The country saw  year-on-year monthly food inflation exceeding 12% from May 2022 to May 2023, with rates surpassing 17% in eight of those months. 

In the following lines, we address the underlying causes of the food and fertilizer price surges, and the actions that can be taken to mitigate this situation in Central America.

In July 2023, the Indian government announced export restrictions on non-basmati white rice. Coming after earlier export limits on other types of rice, the action was taken in part due to a strengthening El Niño that threatened to limit rice production and fuel rising food inflation—a potential political liability for the Modi government as it faced upcoming general elections in spring 2024.