High food prices and the food crisis-experiences and lessons learned


HIGH FOOD PRICES AND
THE FOOD CRISIS -
EXPERIENCES AND LESSONS LEARNED

Full pdf [966-KB]


Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Rome, 2009

The designations employed and the presentation of material in this information product do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoeveron the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) concerning the legal or development status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.
The mention of specific companies or products of manufacturers, whether or not these have been patented, does not imply that these have been endorsed or recommended by FAO in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned.
The views expressed in this information product are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of FAO.

All rights reserved. Reproduction and dissemination of material in this information product for educational or other non-commercial purposes are authorized without any prior written permission from the copyright holders provided the source is fully acknowledged. Reproduction of material in this information product for resale or other commercial purposes is prohibited without written permission of the copyright holders. Applications for such permission should be addressed to:

Chief, Electronic Publishing Policy and Support Branch
Communication Division - FAO
Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00153 Rome, Italy
or by e-mail to: [email protected]

Table of Contents

Part 1   [650Kb]

    WHAT HAPPENED TO WORLD FOOD PRICES AND WHY?
    World Food Price Inflation 2007-2008
    Why did Food Prices Increase so much?
    The Impacts of High Food Prices

    WHY WERE HIGH FOOD PRICES NOT AN OPPORTUNITY FOR POOR
    FARMERS?
    Do World Price Increases Reach Developing Country Producers?
    Prices Increased but so did Costs
    Supply-Side Constraints
    Can Developing Country Farmers Respond to High Food Prices?

Part 2   [650Kb]

    WHAT SHOULD BE THE POLICY RESPONSE?
    What are The Policy Problems?
    How have Developing Countries Responded?
    What Policy Measures should be Taken?
    The Need for International Action

    REFERENCES

    ANNEXES
    Trends in Real Commodity Prices
    Monthly Commodity Prices

    TRADE AND MARKETS DIVISION PUBLICATIONS
    2006-2008

© FAO 2009