Blog posts

Acute Food Insecurity Rising in Pakistan

sara.gustafson — Wed, 18 Feb 2026 20:08:22 +0000

Acute Food Insecurity Rising in Pakistan

7.5 million Pakistanis are currently facing high levels of acute food insecurity, according to a new IPC alert released this week.

Pakistan suffered from multiple climate shocks in 2025, including a monsoon-driven flooding and prolonged drought. Combined with local civil unrest and insecurity, these shocks have significantly decreased crop and livestock production, disrupted markets, and limited households’ ability to earn a livelihood.

sara.gustafson Wed, 02/18/2026 - 15:08

FAO Food Price Index Continues Five-Month Decline

sara.gustafson — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 00:20:42 +0000

FAO Food Price Index Continues Five-Month Decline

The FAO Food Price Index fell in January for the fifth straight month, to nearly 23 percent below the record high seen in March 2022. Sugar, meat, and dairy prices drove the decline.

The Cereal Price Index rose marginally in January but is still nearly 4 percent below its January 2025 level. Wheat prices fell 0.4 percent, with strong global supplies balancing growing demand and concerns about weather in several major producing regions. Strong supplies drove maize prices down slightly as well. Rice prices increased by nearly 2 percent due to increased demand.

sara.gustafson Sun, 02/08/2026 - 19:20

Graduation from poverty in a changing and fragile world

Abdourahmane.Sy — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 21:02:43 +0000

Graduation from poverty in a changing and fragile world

The global poverty landscape is increasingly shaped by conflict, climate shocks, displacement, and market disruptions—forces that are concentrating extreme poverty in the most fragile settings. At the same time, humanitarian and development financing is under pressure, heightening the need for scalable and cost-effective approaches to poverty reduction. Graduation models—multifaceted interventions designed to help extremely poor households to “graduate” from poverty—are emerging as a particularly promising response in this context.

Abdourahmane.Sy Thu, 01/15/2026 - 16:02 ∙

Source:

IFPRI.org

Food Prices Fall in December But Remain Higher Overall in 2025: FAO Food Price Index

sara.gustafson — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 17:31:14 +0000

Food Prices Fall in December But Remain Higher Overall in 2025: FAO Food Price Index

The FAO Food Price Index declined marginally in December, with prices reaching 2.3 percent below December 2024. Overall prices for 2025 remained 4.3 percent higher than 2024, however.

sara.gustafson Thu, 01/15/2026 - 12:31

The future of food demand: Evidence from a global meta-analysis and trend projections

sara.gustafson — Sat, 10 Jan 2026 17:38:59 +0000

The future of food demand: Evidence from a global meta-analysis and trend projections

Understanding how food demand responds to income and price changes is essential for anticipating global food needs and expected consumption patterns, and for designing effective food policies. Two key parameters for this are the income elasticity of demand—the percent change in consumption in response to a percent change in people’s income; and the price elasticity of demand—the percent change in consumption in response to a percent food price change. These are essential inputs in a wide range of economic models.

sara.gustafson Sat, 01/10/2026 - 12:38 ∙

Source:

IFPRI.org

Fertilizer prices soften but remain constrained by trade policies

sara.gustafson — Tue, 06 Jan 2026 22:50:27 +0000

Fertilizer prices soften but remain constrained by trade policies

This blog post is part of a special series based on the October 2025 Commodity Markets Outlook, a flagship report published by the World Bank. This series features concise summaries of commodity-specific sections extracted from the report. Explore the full report here.

sara.gustafson Tue, 01/06/2026 - 17:50 ∙

Source:

World Bank: Data Blog

While conditions improve, critical levels of food insecurity remain in Gaza

sara.gustafson — Fri, 19 Dec 2025 21:31:47 +0000

While conditions improve, critical levels of food insecurity remain in Gaza

Food security conditions in the Gaza Strip have improved since August when the IPC Famine Review Committee confirmed the existence of famine conditions. Despite this improvement, however, 1.6 million people—most of Gaza’s population—still face unacceptably high levels of acute food insecurity, according to the IPC’s latest alert.

sara.gustafson Fri, 12/19/2025 - 16:31

FAO Food Price Index Declines for Third Consecutive Month

sara.gustafson — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 16:56:46 +0000

FAO Food Price Index Declines for Third Consecutive Month

The FAO Food Price Index fell for the third month in a row in November, declining by 1.2 percent. Prices declined for all commodities except cereals. The Index in November stood 2.1 percent below its year-earlier level and nearly 22 percent below the peak of March 2022.

sara.gustafson Wed, 12/17/2025 - 11:56

Will extreme weather lead to multiple breadbasket failures and threaten global food security?

Abdourahmane.Sy — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 12:59:32 +0000

Will extreme weather lead to multiple breadbasket failures and threaten global food security?

Currently, 80% of the world’s people rely on just three agricultural commodities as primary food staples: Maize, rice, and wheat. Production of these staple foods is concentrated in a small number of countries and regions, often called “breadbaskets.” At the same time, the incidence of climate-driven droughts, storms, floods, and related shocks is on the rise, creating large-scale threats to agricultural production in these areas. Recent research suggests that climate change will increase both the volatility of agricultural output and correlations across regions.

Abdourahmane.Sy Fri, 12/12/2025 - 07:59 ∙

Source:

IFPRI.org

Kicking Off the Google.org Project: First Workshop on Predicting Food Crisis Risks

soonho.kim — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 16:49:57 +0000

Kicking Off the Google.org Project: First Workshop on Predicting Food Crisis Risks

The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) convened its first workshop for the Google.org–funded project “Prediction of Food Crisis Risks” on November 3, 2025. The hybrid meeting, moderated by Dr. Betina Dimaranan, brought together researchers from across IFPRI and partner institutions to share early findings, discuss technical progress, and chart the project’s strategic direction.

soonho.kim Mon, 11/10/2025 - 11:49

FAO Food Price Index, AMIS Market Monitor See Generally Declining Commodity Prices in October

sara.gustafson — Fri, 07 Nov 2025 23:41:24 +0000

FAO Food Price Index, AMIS Market Monitor See Generally Declining Commodity Prices in October

The FAO Food Price Index fell 1.6 percent in October, driven by lower cereals, dairy, meat, and sugar prices. The October Index was 21 percent below its March 2022 peak.

sara.gustafson Fri, 11/07/2025 - 18:41

Food Prices are Likely to Remain High and Volatile

Abdourahmane.Sy — Mon, 27 Oct 2025 15:03:18 +0000

Food Prices are Likely to Remain High and Volatile

How do wars, tariff disputes and currency fluctuations affect the international trade in agricultural products? Poor countries suffer disproportionately from inflation risks and food insecurity.

Consumers around the world have seen food prices going up ever since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. While food price inflation has slowed more recently, concerns over the rising cost of living have not gone away. Why is this and should we expect the cost of our daily meals to go up even more in the foreseeable future?

Global food price shocks

Abdourahmane.Sy Mon, 10/27/2025 - 11:03 ∙

Source:

welthungerhilfe.org

Cereal, Vegetable Oil, and Fertilizer Prices Continue Decline in September: FAO Food Price Index and AMIS Market Monitor Released

sara.gustafson — Fri, 10 Oct 2025 16:05:51 +0000

Cereal, Vegetable Oil, and Fertilizer Prices Continue Decline in September: FAO Food Price Index and AMIS Market Monitor Released

Reductions in cereal and vegetable oil prices contributed to a slight decline in the FAO Food Price Index in September. The Index remains nearly 20 percent below its March 2022 peak but rose 3.4 percent from September 2024.

sara.gustafson Fri, 10/10/2025 - 12:05

New Spanish-Language E-Course Available from the FSP

sara.gustafson — Wed, 01 Oct 2025 23:41:13 +0000

New Spanish-Language E-Course Available from the FSP

The Food Security Portal has released a new Spanish-language version of the Pro-WEAI )Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index) Fundamentals e-course. The course provides a comprehensive introduction to the pro-WEAI tool, including its background and methodology and how to apply the tool in local and project-level contests. The Fundamentals course is now available in English, French, Arabic, and Spanish. Four additional Pro-WEAI modules are available in English.

sara.gustafson Wed, 10/01/2025 - 19:41

Food and Nutrition Crises Burgeon in Face of Conflict, Funding Cuts: GRFC Mid-Year Update Released

sara.gustafson — Tue, 16 Sep 2025 19:10:47 +0000

Food and Nutrition Crises Burgeon in Face of Conflict, Funding Cuts: GRFC Mid-Year Update Released

Hunger and food crisis have reached catastrophic levels in multiple places around the world, according to the Global Report on Food Crises Mid-Year Update. Famine has been confirmed in the Gaza Strip and the Sudan, with parts of South Sudan at risk of famine and Yemen, Haiti, and Mali experiencing catastrophic levels of hunger.

In all, 1.4 million people faced IPC Level 5 (Catastrophe) food insecurity and hunger as of August 2025.

sara.gustafson Tue, 09/16/2025 - 15:10

Staple food prices stable in August, but concerns over fertilizer prices, trade uncertainties remain

sara.gustafson — Tue, 09 Sep 2025 22:49:53 +0000

Staple food prices stable in August, but concerns over fertilizer prices, trade uncertainties remain

Global staple food prices remained largely stable in August, according to the latest FAO Food Price Index. The Index was nearly 7 percent higher than its August 2024 level but still well below the record high seen in March 2022.

sara.gustafson Tue, 09/09/2025 - 18:49

Using Local Knowledge to Enhance Food Systems Resilience

sara.gustafson — Thu, 28 Aug 2025 12:26:46 +0000

Using Local Knowledge to Enhance Food Systems Resilience

With food crises on the rise, with an estimated 295.3 million people facing high levels of acute food insecurity in 2024. In the face of these stark hunger levels, policymakers, humanitarian organizations, development practitioners, and private sector actors urgently need knowledge about how to effectively enhance the resilience of local and regional food systems.

sara.gustafson Thu, 08/28/2025 - 08:26

Famine Confirmed in Gaza Strip

sara.gustafson — Fri, 22 Aug 2025 14:39:16 +0000

Famine Confirmed in Gaza Strip

The chance to prevent widespread famine in the Gaza Strip has passed, according to the IPC Famine Review Committee (FRC). The prolonged food crisis in Gaza reached an unprecedented and devastating level in July and August, with the FRC confirming famine in Gaza Governate and projecting famine thresholds to be crossed in Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis Governates in the coming weeks. This latest update places more than half a million people at risk of starvation.

sara.gustafson Fri, 08/22/2025 - 10:39

Realistic options for repurposing fertilizer subsidy spending

sara.gustafson — Thu, 14 Aug 2025 18:35:09 +0000

Realistic options for repurposing fertilizer subsidy spending

Worldwide, government spending on subsidies in agriculture, fishing, and fossil fuels amounts to a staggering $1.25 trillion annually. Subsidies play a significant role in every country’s fiscal policies, regardless of income level or spending patterns. Spending on energy and agricultural subsidies consistently accounts for 2%-3% of GDP on average across income levels and make the production and transportation of food cheaper.

sara.gustafson Thu, 08/14/2025 - 14:35 ∙

Source:

IFPRI.org

Record high meat prices drive Food Price Index up in July

sara.gustafson — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 19:56:19 +0000

Record high meat prices drive Food Price Index up in July

The FAO Food Price Index rose by 1.6 percent in July based on increasing meat and vegetable oil prices. The Index remains 7.6 percent higher than its 2024 level but nearly 19 percent below its March 2022 peak.

sara.gustafson Tue, 08/12/2025 - 15:56

Gaza’s catastrophe will have long-lasting impacts on lives and livelihoods

Abdourahmane.Sy — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 14:04:23 +0000

Gaza’s catastrophe will have long-lasting impacts on lives and livelihoods

The humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip has reached catastrophic levels since the brief ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war ended March 18. Famine thresholds have been surpassed in many parts of the territory, according to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis. Increasing numbers of hunger-related deaths among children under 5 are being reported, and nearly the entire population of 2.2 million people now faces high levels of acute food insecurity.

Abdourahmane.Sy Mon, 08/11/2025 - 10:04 ∙

Source:

IFPRI.org

Hunger declines globally in 2025 but remains above pre-pandemic levels: New State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World Report released

sara.gustafson — Sat, 09 Aug 2025 19:14:01 +0000

Hunger declines globally in 2025 but remains above pre-pandemic levels: New State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World Report released

With the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) deadline of 2030 fast approaching, the clock is ticking for the world to meet its goal of eradicating hunger and food insecurity. Some progress was made toward this milestone in 2024; however, hunger levels remain above their pre-pandemic levels, according to the 2025 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report.

sara.gustafson Sat, 08/09/2025 - 15:14

The struggle to get food aid from Egypt to Gaza: Insights from the Egyptian Food Bank

Abdourahmane.Sy — Tue, 05 Aug 2025 14:57:54 +0000

The struggle to get food aid from Egypt to Gaza: Insights from the Egyptian Food Bank

The Gaza Strip has entered a “worst case” food crisis, with its population now facing famine, according to a July 29 Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) alert. Responding to growing international outrage over the emergency, two days earlier, Israel said it was reopening humanitarian aid corridors—allowing international organizations to resume convoys—while the Israeli Defense Force announced a daily “tactical pause” on operations in densely-populated Gaza City, Deir al-Balah, and Mawasi to facilitate aid distribution.

Abdourahmane.Sy Tue, 08/05/2025 - 10:57 ∙

Source:

IFPRI.org

Gaza now facing "worst-case scenario"

sara.gustafson — Wed, 30 Jul 2025 16:57:20 +0000

Gaza now facing "worst-case scenario"

The population of the Gaza Strip is facing unprecedented crisis, according to the latest IPC alert released yesterday. Calling the situation the “worst-case scenario,” the alert reports famine-level food consumption throughout most of the territory and acute malnutrition in Gaza City.

sara.gustafson Wed, 07/30/2025 - 12:57

Agrifood value chain finance can expand opportunities for smallholders

sara.gustafson — Wed, 16 Jul 2025 17:46:14 +0000

Agrifood value chain finance can expand opportunities for smallholders

Agrifood value chains (AVCs) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have been expanding due to a range of factors, including income growth, urbanization, more market-oriented policies, globalization, and technological changes. Integrating smallholder farmers into those growing value chains, particularly for higher-value commodities, is an important path towards reducing poverty and generating employment opportunities, particularly for women and rural youth.

sara.gustafson Wed, 07/16/2025 - 13:46 ∙

Source:

IFPRI.org

Proposed U.S. ‘reciprocal’ tariffs vary widely by product

sara.gustafson — Sat, 12 Jul 2025 17:49:22 +0000

Proposed U.S. ‘reciprocal’ tariffs vary widely by product

The “Liberation Day” tariffs proposed by the United States on April 2 included a blanket 10% increase for countries with which the U.S. runs bilateral trade surpluses or small deficits, and a range of higher tariffs for 56 economies with which the U.S. runs sizeable trade deficits (excluding Canada and Mexico as partners in the U.S-Canada-Mexico free trade agreement; and Cuba, Russia and North Korea).

sara.gustafson Sat, 07/12/2025 - 13:49 ∙

Source:

IFPRI.org

FAO Food Price Index Rises Marginally in June

sara.gustafson — Mon, 07 Jul 2025 17:38:58 +0000

FAO Food Price Index Rises Marginally in June

The FAO Food Price Index rose marginally in June to reach nearly 6 percent above its June 2024 level. Declining cereal and sugar prices were balanced by increases in meat, dairy, and vegetable oil prices. The Index remained more than 20 percent below the high seen in March 2022.

sara.gustafson Mon, 07/07/2025 - 13:38

The future of climate change and food system research: 2025 Global Food Policy Report

sara.gustafson — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 19:17:33 +0000

The future of climate change and food system research: 2025 Global Food Policy Report

The realities of a changing climate are becoming increasingly clear, with temperatures rising around the world and extreme weather events, like flooding and droughts, becoming more and more frequent. April 2025 was the second hottest April globally on record, and evidence suggests such anomalous high temperatures could become the norm rather than the exception.

sara.gustafson Mon, 06/16/2025 - 15:17

New Cost of Healthy Diets Tool provides powerful look at nutrition gaps—and how to solve them

sara.gustafson — Tue, 10 Jun 2025 15:18:54 +0000

New Cost of Healthy Diets Tool provides powerful look at nutrition gaps—and how to solve them

In recent years, it has become increasingly recognized that true food and nutrition security depend not just on consumption of an adequate caloric quantity of food but also on consumption of the right types of food. A healthy diet—which the WHO and FAO define as one characterized by adequate, balanced, moderate, and diverse consumption of safe foods and beverages—is essential in supporting long-term physical and cognitive health, development, and well-being and in preventing diseases and damaging nutrient imbalances.

sara.gustafson Tue, 06/10/2025 - 11:18

AMIS sees strong potential staple crop production in 2025, but trade, climate uncertainties remain

sara.gustafson — Sun, 08 Jun 2025 21:43:20 +0000

AMIS sees strong potential staple crop production in 2025, but trade, climate uncertainties remain

The FAO Food Price Index fell marginally in May but remained 6 percent higher than its May 2024 level. The decline was driven by falling cereals, sugar, and vegetable oils prices.

sara.gustafson Sun, 06/08/2025 - 17:43

Tracking Fertilizer Price Volatility: Expanding the Food Security Portal’s Excessive Food Price Variability Early Warning System

sara.gustafson — Sat, 31 May 2025 19:24:01 +0000

Tracking Fertilizer Price Volatility: Expanding the Food Security Portal’s Excessive Food Price Variability Early Warning System

Fertilizer is a critical input for agricultural productivity, and its increased use has been closely associated with rising agricultural yields in many countries. In developing economies that rely heavily on fertilizer imports and are home to vulnerable smallholder farmers, fertilizer price spikes can pose serious risks. When farmers lack access to effective risk-sharing mechanisms, sudden or excessive increases in fertilizer prices can discourage adoption, disrupt planting decisions, and reduce productivity.

sara.gustafson Sat, 05/31/2025 - 15:24

Gaza’s worsening food crisis and troubled path to reconstruction

sara.gustafson — Tue, 20 May 2025 14:59:34 +0000

Gaza’s worsening food crisis and troubled path to reconstruction

As the Israel-Hamas conflict rages on in the Gaza Strip, the territory’s entire population of more than 2 million remains under threat of severe food crisis. The latest alert from the IPC Integrated Phase Classification for Acute Food Insecurity reports that one in five people in the Gaza Strip—upwards of 500,000—are on the brink of starvation (IPC Phase 5 Catastrophe) due to the March 18, 2025 end of the ceasefire and the resumption of blockades of humanitarian aid and commercial supplies. The entire population is facing crisis-level acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or worse).

sara.gustafson Tue, 05/20/2025 - 10:59

The world is nowhere near the goal of zero hunger by 2030 amid uncertain global development financing. What now?

sara.gustafson — Mon, 19 May 2025 15:42:50 +0000

The world is nowhere near the goal of zero hunger by 2030 amid uncertain global development financing. What now?

In the wake of a series of recent crises that drove up global hunger and food insecurity, the world remains far off track in meeting Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG2)—ending hunger and malnutrition by 2030. Now, in a chaotic global environment of still more crises and complications, including cuts in official development assistance, what is the best course forward for governments and development organizations to address these urgent problems?

sara.gustafson Mon, 05/19/2025 - 11:42 ∙

Source:

IFPRI.org

Rising food insecurity, waning humanitarian assistance: 2025 Global Report on Food Crises released

sara.gustafson — Fri, 16 May 2025 14:45:19 +0000

Rising food insecurity, waning humanitarian assistance: 2025 Global Report on Food Crises released

The world faced a stark inflection point in 2024, as the continued rise in the number of people facing crisis-to-catastrophic levels of acute food insecurity meets sharp reductions in funding for humanitarian assistance. The 2025 Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC), released today, reports that 295.3 million people across 53 countries/territories faced acute food insecurity in 2024. This represents a tripling of the number of people facing acute hunger since 2016 and a doubling since 2020 (Figure 1).

Figure 1

sara.gustafson Fri, 05/16/2025 - 10:45

New U.S. tariff policies: What’s at stake for sub-Saharan Africa?

Abdourahmane.Sy — Mon, 12 May 2025 15:00:30 +0000

New U.S. tariff policies: What’s at stake for sub-Saharan Africa?

Current U.S. trade policies—though primarily focused on major global players including China, the European Union, and North American partners Canada and Mexico—also have economic consequences for smaller countries and regions around the world. In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), these impacts will be felt both directly, through newly imposed tariffs, and indirectly, as collateral damage in a potential trade war between the world’s largest economies.

Abdourahmane.Sy Mon, 05/12/2025 - 11:00 ∙

Source:

IFPRI.org

Uncertainties over Trade Continue to Raise Concerns for Food, Fertilizer Markets

sara.gustafson — Fri, 02 May 2025 18:44:10 +0000

Uncertainties over Trade Continue to Raise Concerns for Food, Fertilizer Markets

The FAO Food Price Index rose 1 percent in April, driven by increasing cereal, dairy, and meat price. While the Index was 7.6 percent higher than its April 2024 level, it remains nearly 20 percent lower than the record reached in March 2022.

sara.gustafson Fri, 05/02/2025 - 14:44

U.S.-China trade war 2.0: What are the implications for global oilseed markets?

Abdourahmane.Sy — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 18:22:09 +0000

U.S.-China trade war 2.0: What are the implications for global oilseed markets?

Second in a blog series examining the potential consequences of the recently-proposed U.S. tariffs for global agrifood trade. Read the first post here.

Abdourahmane.Sy Tue, 04/22/2025 - 14:22 ∙

Source:

IFPRI.org

Reforming agricultural extension to build resilient and sustainable food systems: Insights from national and international consultations

sara.gustafson — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 13:53:04 +0000

Reforming agricultural extension to build resilient and sustainable food systems: Insights from national and international consultations

Food systems around the world face growing challenges. They must be transformed to sustainably feed a growing global population and made more resilient to shocks from extreme weather to conflict. Efforts on those fronts are increasingly interlinked—and depend on well-targeted local interventions.

sara.gustafson Mon, 04/14/2025 - 09:53 ∙

Source:

IFPRI.org

Commodity Prices Stable in March, But Concerns over Trade Remain

sara.gustafson — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 14:08:28 +0000

Commodity Prices Stable in March, But Concerns over Trade Remain

The FAO Food Price Index remained stable in March, with falling cereal and sugar prices balancing rising meat and vegetable oil prices. The Index was almost 7 percent higher than its March 2024 level but still remains significantly below March 2022 levels.

sara.gustafson Wed, 04/09/2025 - 10:08

How ‘reciprocal tariffs’ harm agricultural trade

sara.gustafson — Tue, 08 Apr 2025 14:12:41 +0000

How ‘reciprocal tariffs’ harm agricultural trade

First in a blog series examining the potential consequences of the newly proposed U.S. tariffs for global agrifood trade.

sara.gustafson Tue, 04/08/2025 - 10:12 ∙

Source:

IFPRI.org

High global phosphate prices pose potential food security risks

sara.gustafson — Thu, 20 Mar 2025 21:28:28 +0000

High global phosphate prices pose potential food security risks

Fertilizer prices experienced a significant surge in 2021, driven by the post-COVID 19 global economic recovery. Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine propelled prices even higher. Broad economic sanctions on key fertilizer exporters Russia and Belarus exempted agricultural products but triggered further economic disruptions. Overall, the conflict heightened market uncertainties regarding the availability of potash, phosphate, and nitrogen-based fertilizers in international trade.

sara.gustafson Thu, 03/20/2025 - 17:28 ∙

Source:

IFPRI.org

Food, Fertilizer Prices Continue to Rise Amid Trade Uncertainties

sara.gustafson — Sat, 08 Mar 2025 20:56:36 +0000

Food, Fertilizer Prices Continue to Rise Amid Trade Uncertainties

Rising vegetable oil, cereal, sugar, and dairy prices drove the FAO Food Price Index up by 1.6 percent in February. However, overall prices remain almost 21 percent lower than the peak seen in March 2022.

sara.gustafson Sat, 03/08/2025 - 15:56

Impact of proposed U.S. tariffs on agricultural trade flows in the Western Hemisphere

sara.gustafson — Tue, 04 Mar 2025 16:59:56 +0000

Impact of proposed U.S. tariffs on agricultural trade flows in the Western Hemisphere

With new U.S. tariffs on Canada and Mexico now in effect, what are the potential impacts on trade among those countries and across the Western Hemisphere?

sara.gustafson Tue, 03/04/2025 - 11:59 ∙

Source:

IFPRI.org

The Connection Between Climate Change and Malnutrition

sara.gustafson — Sun, 02 Mar 2025 18:41:24 +0000

The Connection Between Climate Change and Malnutrition

Climate change, malnutrition, and poor diets are interconnected. Without well-financed climate change adaptation plans and strategies global nutrition disparities could worsen.

sara.gustafson Sun, 03/02/2025 - 13:41 ∙

Source:

Welthungerhilfe.org

How countries have coped with recent agricultural trade disruptions

sara.gustafson — Thu, 27 Feb 2025 14:27:48 +0000

How countries have coped with recent agricultural trade disruptions

Global agricultural markets have been in a constant state of uproar over the past five years. Trade wars between major trading nations such as China, the United States, and Australia, supply chain disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Russia’s war in Ukraine, crisis in the Middle East, and export restrictions in many countries have diverted supplies, altered trading patterns, and increased price volatility, which often makes markets less efficient and more costly.

sara.gustafson Thu, 02/27/2025 - 09:27 ∙

Source:

IFPRI.org

How do food and fertilizer price spikes and volatility impact Central America and the Caribbean?

Abdourahmane.Sy — Tue, 11 Feb 2025 08:31:05 +0000

How do food and fertilizer price spikes and volatility impact Central America and the Caribbean?

Recurring spikes and high volatility in international food and fertilizer prices (Figure 1) have triggered economic impacts around the world over the past two decades. These major shocks include the global food price crises of 2007-2008 and 2010-2011, the market disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Russia-Ukraine war. In the months after Russia’s February 2022 invasion, real global food prices reached the highest levels on record in more than six decades, while key global fertilizer prices more than doubled over those of the previous year.

Figure 1

Abdourahmane.Sy Tue, 02/11/2025 - 03:31 ∙

Source:

IFPRI.org

Most Commodity Prices Decline, But Concerns Over Trade, Climate Remain

sara.gustafson — Sat, 08 Feb 2025 17:39:14 +0000

Most Commodity Prices Decline, But Concerns Over Trade, Climate Remain

The FAO Food Price Index declined by 1.6 percent from December. While the Index was 6.2 percent higher than its January 2024 level, it remains 22 percent below its peak of March 2022.

sara.gustafson Sat, 02/08/2025 - 12:39

The Impact of Fertilizer Price Spikes on Fertilizer Use and Farm Profitability

sara.gustafson — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 18:06:44 +0000

The Impact of Fertilizer Price Spikes on Fertilizer Use and Farm Profitability

Fertilizer use plays an important role in increasing agricultural production and ensuring food availability and economic accessibility: two critical components of overall food security. When global fertilizer prices skyrocketed in 2021-2022, those spikes brought with them concerns about drastically reduced fertilizer application and subsequent negative impacts on food production, prices, and food security.

sara.gustafson Mon, 02/03/2025 - 13:06

How conflict drives hunger: Six channels through the food system

Abdourahmane.Sy — Mon, 27 Jan 2025 16:38:10 +0000

How conflict drives hunger: Six channels through the food system

Much has been said and written of late about the linkages between conflict and hunger. There is good reason for this: 65% of the world’s acutely food-insecure people live in conflict-affected countries. Typically, two claims are made about the conflict-hunger linkage. First, that conflict breeds hunger. This claim is supported by so much evidence that in 2018 the United Nations adopted Resolution 2417 recognizing the direct impacts of armed conflict on food insecurity and strongly condemning the use of starvation of civilians as a weapon of warfare in conflict situations.

Abdourahmane.Sy Mon, 01/27/2025 - 11:38 ∙

Source:

IFPRI.org

How Trump tariffs might impact countries of Latin America and the Caribbean

sara.gustafson — Wed, 22 Jan 2025 17:07:09 +0000

How Trump tariffs might impact countries of Latin America and the Caribbean

Donald Trump’s return to the White House likely also signals the return of the unilateral trade policies that characterized his first term and precipitated trade wars between the United States and many of its trading partners, most notably China. As a candidate, the president-elect threatened a number of adverse trade actions including raising tariffs on all imports by 10%-20%. He has warned a number of specific countries as well—suggesting he would consider 60% tariffs on China and 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico.

sara.gustafson Wed, 01/22/2025 - 12:07