The economic crisis derived from the pandemic, the war in Ukraine and climate change reduce the access of the most vulnerable to basic products
The systematic increase in food prices worldwide is particularly affecting the populations of sub-Saharan Africa, where nine of the ten countries that experience the highest prices compared to average salaries are located, according to the NGO World Vision.
In a report, the organization has indicated that it is precisely in this region where numerous violent conflicts that last over time, as well as extreme climate phenomena and large population displacements, are concentrated.
None of the main countries with the highest food prices have achieved an improvement in the situation since 2022, so in all of them the population requires more than a full week of work to be able to afford a basic food basket. In this sense, the NGO has drawn a comparison between developed countries and some of the most affected countries in Africa.
In this way, purchasing a basic food basket made up of ten products would cost between 1.5 and 3 hours of work in countries such as Australia, Canada, Ireland, the United States, Germany, Switzerland or the United Kingdom, among others, while in Burundi In the Central African Republic, Sudan, Kenya, Cambodia and Ecuador, the range of hours worked to obtain this same basket ranges between 1.5 days and 36 days of work – with the worst case located in Burundi -.
The ‘Price Shocks’ report reveals that for the most vulnerable populations, food prices continue to be higher than before the coronavirus pandemic and warns that it is precisely in the poorest countries that prices have risen the most.
Mary Njeri, Director of Global Hunger Response at World Vision, noted that these data “underscore the alarming food crisis that has left 35 million people hungry.” “The economic upheaval caused by COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine, along with the intensifying effects of climate change and other conflicts, are leaving the most vulnerable people less able to afford a basic food basket. “he lamented.
The ongoing conflicts in many of these countries have in turn caused localized price increases, such as in Burkina Faso or Sudan, where conflict areas have prices up to twice as high as areas less affected by violence.
The report calls on the international community to “step up” and ensure that no child goes hungry in the world. “Families desperately need peace above all else,” said Njeri, who lamented that children exposed to conflict and hunger are more likely to be forced into marriage or child labor.
“Chicken, eggs and milk should not be considered luxuries, but basic foods that everyone can buy to have a balanced diet. This is not the future for children,” he said.
DIFFICULTY FEEDING
The World Food Program (WFP) has warned that the food situation continues to worsen, especially in central and western Africa, amid persistent conflict and economic problems. This is especially worrying in northern Mali, where it is estimated that 2,600 people could suffer from “catastrophic hunger.”
Data collected in recent months reveals a significant change in the factors driving food insecurity in the region, beyond recurrent conflicts. Economic problems, such as currency devaluation, rising inflation, production stagnation and trade barriers, have aggravated the food crisis, affecting ordinary citizens across the region, including Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone and Mali the most affected.
Prices of major staple grains continue to rise across the region driven by inflation, fuel and transport costs, ECOWAS sanctions and restrictions on trade flows. agricultural products. Inflation is one of the main drivers of price volatility in Ghana (23 percent), Nigeria (30 percent), Sierra Leone (54 percent), Liberia (10 percent) and Gambia (16 percent) .
Cereal production for the 2023-2024 agricultural campaign shows a deficit of 12 million tons, while the per capita availability of cereals is reduced by two percent compared to the last agricultural campaign, according to the program. UN.
INCREASE IN PRICES AFTER SEVEN MONTHS DOWN
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has indicated that during the month of March there was an increase in the food price index after the decrease recorded during the previous seven months, as it warned in a statement.
The increase in international prices for vegetable oils, dairy products and meat has driven up the reference index of world food product prices, which has thus recorded an increase of 1.1 percent over the last month .
However, the dairy price index continues to grow for the sixth consecutive month (2.9 percent since February) due to the increase in global prices for cheese and butter, to which are also added the prices of meat, which have suffered an increase of 1.7 percent compared to the previous month as a result of the increase in international prices of poultry, pork and beef.
In contrast, the FAO Cereal Price Index decreased by 2.6 percent, being 20 percent below the value recorded in March 2023. This drop reflects a decline in global wheat prices for export, mainly due to strong export competition between the United States, Russia and the European Union, accentuated by the suspension of wheat purchases by China.
Corn prices, on the other hand, have seen a slight increase over the last month due to logistical difficulties in exporting grain from Ukraine, as well as the price of rice, which has fallen due to weak global import demand. .
“To respond to this unprecedented food and nutritional insecurity, it is important to mobilize for the promotion and support of policies that can encourage the diversification of plant and animal production and the processing of local foods (through the supply of agricultural products, access to productive resources for all to stimulate increased production and improve product availability),” said FAO subregional coordinator for West Africa and the Sahel, Robert Guei.
“This is crucial not only to ensure healthy and affordable diets all year round, but also and above all to protect biodiversity, with the potential to mitigate the effects of climate change, and above all to counteract high food prices and protect the livelihoods of the affected population,” he pointed out.