Tasting Table published an article about how current food inflation is causing a sharp increase in global prices as factors ranging from the war in the Ukraine to devastating droughts have led to production and supply chain disruptions. This crisis is impacting nations in various ways. NPR notes that in Africa, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Kenya have seen over a doubling in the number of individuals experiencing the most extreme forms of hunger. India has been able to produce and store adequate quantities of grain for their citizens has meant that price fluctuations and overall food security are not as concerning as they are to other countries. According to IFPRI, many of the poorest people in the world spend over 50% of their budget on food, and 160 million people are forced to make do on a daily income of 50 cents.
IFPRI is calling on world leaders to respond quickly to stem the effects of the food inflation crisis with an “emergency package” that includes robust food assistance programs, the elimination of export bans, revised biofuel policies, and assistance for small farmers. They have also put forward a more future-oriented “resilience package,” aiming to give the individuals experiencing poverty and developing nations the tools they need to stave off dire food insecurity going forward.