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2006-2008 saw dramatic increases in the price of many staple food items, particularly maize, rice, and wheat. These staple commodities form the bulk of the diet of the world’s poor populations, many of whom spend over one-half of their income on food. The result in many areas of the world was worsening poverty for already poor populations due to a decline in purchasing power. While much attention has been given to the economic impacts of the rise in food prices, little empirical research has been conducted to examine the nutritional impacts of the food crisis.

The G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors met again on April 14-15 in Washington DC to discuss ongoing challenges to the global economic recovery. The meeting addressed the increasing pressure faced by global commodity prices, stressing the need for commodities markets to be subject to regulation and supervision.

Read the full communiqué.

The World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report provides monthly comprehensive forecasts of supply and demand for major U.S. and global crops, supplied by the USDA. Crops covered include wheat, coarse grains, rice, and oilseeds. This report can explain past and current global commodities trends, as well as predict trends for the coming year.

Download the April report .

Global food prices saw a slight dip in March, falling 2.9 percent from their February peak, according to the latest FAO Food Price Index. Despite this decrease, food prices remain significantly higher than their March 2010 levels. Grain prices continued to experience extreme volatility.

Access the full report , as well as the latest GIEWS Global Food Price Monitor .

The Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) has released a food security brief for North Africa and the Middle East which examines food price trends in these areas. Increasing food prices are expected to have a stronger impact among populations where chronic food insecurity is more widespread, such as Pakistan, Yemen, Sudan, Morocco, Syria, Egypt, and Iran.