Join us for a seminar exploring the complex interplay between global food commodity prices and domestic food price inflation, and the implications for food security. Drawing on recent analytical work and market monitoring, the session will examine how international price movements transmit through domestic markets, often exacerbated by exchange rate fluctuations and macroeconomic volatility. 

Fluctuations in exchange rates pose an additional and compounding challenge in how global food commodity prices affect domestic markets. Even when international commodity prices level off, a depreciating currency can still lead to higher local food prices, especially in countries that rely heavily on imports. We will examine why food inflation has disproportionately affected low-income countries—where currency depreciation has amplified the impact of rising global prices, pushing nutritious diets further out of reach for vulnerable populations. The discussion will also highlight how broader macroeconomic conditions, including labor costs and profit margins, have intensified price pressures beyond what commodity shocks alone can explain. 

Insights from recent studies will shed light on the speed and asymmetry of price transmission, the role of trade integration, and the implications for food security and nutrition. We will also discuss policy responses and market transparency mechanisms—such as AMIS—that can help mitigate volatility and improve resilience. 

Moderator Opening Remarks

• Monika Tothova, Senior Economist, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO); Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS) Secretary

Presentation: Addressing high food price inflation for food security and nutrition

• David Laborde, Director, Agrifood Economics and Policy Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) (Presentation)

Panel Discussion

Moderated by Monika Tothova, Senior Economist, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO); Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS) Secretary and Joseph Glauber, Research Fellow Emeritus, IFPRI

• Helia Costa, Economist, Structural Policy and Research Division of the Economics Department, Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) (Presentation)
• Fabio Santeramo, Associate Professor, Department of Agricultural Sciences, Food, Resource Economics and Engineering, University of Foggia
• Michael Adjemian, Professor, Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, University of Georgia (Presentation)
• Karl Pauw, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI

Closing Remarks

• Joseph Glauber, Research Fellow Emeritus, IFPRI