food prices

This discussion paper (PDF) by IDS explores the views of people living on low and precarious incomes on the connections between food price changes and climate and environmental change. It is based on the 2012 findings of the four-year (2012–2015) Oxfam–IDS research project “Life in a Time of Food Price Volatility”. »

The FAO Food Outlook is a biannual publication (May/June and November/December) focusing on developments affecting global food and feed markets. This report (PDF) from October 2014 highlights that food markets are more stable and prices for most agricultural commodities are sharply lower than they have been in recent years. »

This study by IIASA researchers provides a global scenario analysis that covers nine different climate scenarios, 18 crops and 4 crop management systems, as well as the interactions between crop production, consumption, prices, and trade. It specifically examines adaptations that are investment-intensive and not easily reversible, such as building new water management infrastructure for irrigation, or increases and decreases to the production capacity of a region. »

This publication (PDF) by IDS explores conditions favourable for active engagement of educated young people into farming in a context of food price volatility, and in particular rising food prices since 2007. Based on analysis of interviews, focus group discussion and household case studies with almost 1500 people in 23 rural, urban and peri-urban communities in low and middle income Asian, African and Latin American countries in 2012, this research digs deeper into some of the established explanations as to why youth in developing countries appear reluctant to enter farming. »

This blog post by Oxfam highlights the role of supermarket chains, especially discount retailers, on food prices. It is stated that German supermarket chains are partly responsible for substantially undercutting the legal minimum price for bananas in countries such as Ecuador, which has dire consequences for small agricultural producers and plantation workers. »