Attempting to quantify the depth of damage to global food security by the food crisis of 2006-2008, UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) released its annual “The State of Food Insecurity in the World” report. The theme of the report coincides with the recent World Food Day celebration and related events, examining how food price volatility and its effect on poor populations has continued since the most recent global crisis.
The Executive Summary to the Report summarizes its goals and conclusions:
“The report describes the effects of price volatility on food security and presents policy options to reduce volatility in a cost-effective manner and to manage it when it cannot be avoided. It will be important to provide improved market information, create gender-sensitive safety nets that are designed in advance and can be implemented quickly in times of crisis, and invest in agriculture for the long-term to make it more productive and resilient to shocks.”
