Today, the United Nations announced that El Niño has contributed to a 3.9% increase in major food commodities in October. The Food and Agriculture Organization’s Food Outlook report found that sugar and palm oil supplies were the main reasons for the increase.
IFPRI Director General Shenggen Fan responded in a statement:
The 3.9 percent rise in global food prices, fueled by a particularly powerful El Niño, should serve as a reminder of the changing landscape of food security. By implementing long-term investments such as irrigation, drought tolerance varieties, diversification of food baskets, and social protection—and discouraging export restrictions that lead to food scarcity and hostility—we can focus on helping the millions of people in every country on the planet who remain hungry and malnourished.
For more information, or if you would like to speak to Dr. Fan, please contact:
Deb Horan, d.horan@cgiar.org +1 (202) 627-4310
Daniel Burnett, d.burnett@cgiar.org +1 (202) 627-4311