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Book (stand-alone)The 2007 - 2008 food price swing - Impact and policies in Eastern and Southern Africa
Fao Commodities and Trade Technical Paper 12
2009Also available in:
No results found.Between 2007 and 2008, the world experienced a dramatic swing in commodity prices. Food commodity prices also increased substantially during the summer of 2008, reaching their highest level in nearly thirty years, before decreasing sharply as expectations for an economic recession set in. Eastern and Southern African countries experienced considerable difficulties due to the price food swing. The food price boom resulted in increased poverty and significant food security problems as households struggled to meet the high cost of food. At the macroeconomic level, high food import bills, inflation and foreign exchange constraints increased the fragility of developing and less developed countries. Although the ensuing world economic recession did lead to a drop in food prices, it carried with it a different set of problems. The decline in exports due to weak demand, decreased foreign investment and migrant remittances, as well as high unemployment all added to the b urden of already vulnerable African countries. Policy reactions to the food price surge have been prompt in many developing countries. A number of short-run measures in order to rein in the increase in food prices and to protect consumers and vulnerable population groups were introduced, such as reductions in import tariffs. Other countries resorted to food inventory management aimed at stabilizing domestic prices. A range of interventions have also been implemented to mitigate the a dverse impacts on vulnerable households, such as targeted subsidized food sales. Other countries scaled-up already existing input subsidy programs to assist producers and stimulate supply response as fertilizer prices also soared. -
DocumentResponse to the locust plague
Programme – Campaign 2013/14
2014Also available in:
No results found.Madagascar is prone to natural disasters, including drought, flooding, cyclones and locust crises. The current locust plague began in April 2012, following a twoyear upsurge that was not addressed owing to insufficient means. Given the extent of the plague, as well Madagascar’s high rates of food insecurity and malnutrition, the food security of 13 million people (60 percent of the population) could be affected. To address this dire situation, the Ministry of Agriculture of Madagascar and the Fo od and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) developed a Three-year Programme (2013-2016) in response to the plague, for which funds have been actively sought since December 2012. Given the magnitude and geographical extent of the infested and contaminated areas, it is estimated that at least three successive locust control campaigns are required to return to a locust recession situation: - Locust Campaign 1: control and eradicate the plague, from September 2013 to September 2014 (1.5 million hectares to be treated). - Locust Campaign 2: measures to support the anticipated decline, from October 2014 to September 2015 (500 000 hectares to be treated). - Locust Campaign 3: towards recession and capacity building of the National AntiLocust Centre, from October 2015 to June 2016 (150 000 hectares to be treated). The objective of the Programme is to contribute to safeguarding food security for the most vulnerable rural populations in Madagascar. Its five components are: 1. im prove monitoring capacity and analysis of the locust situation. 2. strengthen locust control capacity. 3. preserve human health and protect the environment. 4. implement and coordinate the Programme. 5. assess the effectiveness of locust campaigns and the impact of the locust crisis on crops and pastures. The budget for implementing the Programme is estimated at USD 41.5 million, of which over USD 22 million is earmarked for the first campaign (2013/14). It is essential that all funds required t o implement the Programme are available in order to return to a locust recession situation. It is also crucial that all funds for the 2013/14 locust campaign are available in time for the implementation beginning in September 2013. If a large-scale locust control campaign is not set up quickly, the plague could escalate and worsen. This document describes the first locust control campaign, which will be conducted in 2013/14, and its objective of halting the plague dynamics through large-scale co ntrol operations in the infested areas. The expected results, indicators and activities are described by Programme component. Also presented below are the management modalities carried out by FAO in close collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture; the technical and operational support provided for Programme implementation; project inputs; and the monitoring, evaluation and reporting system. -
Brochure, flyer, fact-sheetSocial protection: effective and inclusive response and recovery in the context of COVID-19 in Africa 2020
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No results found.COVID-19 poses significant challenges to an already strained rural context in Africa. The growing direct impact of COVID-19 is affecting health, in terms of morbidity and mortality, as well as quickly overburdening health care services with negative repercussions for non-COVID related health problems. But even before COVID-19 had spread in Africa, the socio economic impact was felt. The sharp decline in demand and production from the most economically developed countries where contagion had initially hit hardest – China, European Union and the United States of America – has caused a global recession, with direct repercussions in Africa. With the spread of the virus across the continent, containment measures including social distancing, closing of schools, the prohibition of gatherings, closure or limitations on non-essential businesses and economic activities, and border closures may have devastating consequences. These impacts further exacerbate a situation of increasing rates of hunger and poverty, as well as challenges affecting rural areas, including the desert locust outbreak, fall army warm impacts, early droughts, conflict and insecurity. The disruption of traditional transhumance patterns and the creation of new ones may lead to tensions and local displacement, and increased levels of poverty and food insecurity. Despite these challenges, the region has also made important progress in terms of prioritizing social protection as a core component of poverty reduction and rural development strategies, including in the context of the Malabo Declaration and Agenda 2063. This is a critical moment to scale up these efforts to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, and support longer-term recovery for vulnerable populations.
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