المنتدى العالمي المعني بالأمن الغذائي والتغذية

LA VOLATILIDAD DE LOS PRECIOS DE LOS ALIMENTOS Y LA SEGURIDAD ALIMENTARIA NUTRICIONAL

CAUSAS

. Fomento a Programas de Desarrollo basado en las Exportaciones. A través de diversos apoyos y políticas públicas (créditos, disminución de impuestos, no cobro de aranceles, subsidios a la energía, entre otros) lo que desincentiva la producción interna de alimentos básicos. Al obtener más ganancias mediante los productos de exportación, se generan una serie de consecuencias, resaltando entre ellas, el desplazamiento de cultivos alimenticios básicos por los de exportación.

. La especulación y ocultamiento de alimentos básicos de consumo humano y materias primas para alimentos para ganado; con el propósito de crear desabastecimientos artificiales e incrementar el precio de venta de los productos.

. El incremento de los precios internacionales de los productos básicos (por ejemplo, el trigo y maíz por la guerra de Ucrania-Rusia) genera un redireccionamiento de los productos hacia el mercado externo antes que el abastecimiento del mercado interno por parte de los agroindustriales y empresas alimentarias.

. El cambio climático expresado en lluvias a destiempo, sequías, granizadas, inundaciones y otros, afecta a la producción de alimentos lo que incide en las pérdidas de la producción, afectando a los precios y a los ingresos económicos de las familias de los productores.

. El ingreso masivo y descontrolado de productos alimenticios, ya sea por la vía de las importaciones legales como sobre todo por el contrabando, afecta fuertemente a los precios internos de los productos, desincentivando su producción y diversificación.

Los alimentos importados y a bajo precio (sobre todo los “Alimentos Preparados” y de consumo rápido-fast food) generan una mayor demanda de éstos, lo que incide en una disminución de la demanda de los alimentos tradicionales (ricos en nutrientes y más sanos). Si a esto se suma la intensa difusión comercial de esos productos, hay un cambio en los hábitos alimentarios tradicionales de la población

. Los subsidios a los combustibles de los productos de exportación, afectan los costos de funcionamiento de la maquinaria agrícola (de los productos de exportación como la soya, sorgo, caña de azúcar, carnes) y los costos del transporte de esos productos a los puertos de exportación.

. La concentración de la producción de alimentos procesados en pocas empresas genera una producción oligopólica que determina los precios de venta de esos productos.

RECOMENDACIONES

1. Reasignar/reorientar los subsidios de los productos de exportación (agrícolas, ganaderos, de producción de forrajes) hacia productos alimenticios con bajas emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero (GEI) y/o alto potencial nutricional.  Esa reorientación debe ser para incrementar el rendimiento productivo y la diversificación de los alimentos básicos tradicionales (sanos y más nutritivos, y fortalecen el medio ambiente).

2. Incentivar la producción interna de alimentos y la diversificación productiva en base a un enfoque agroecológico y de Agricultura de Conservación, que representa un enfoque agro sostenible.

3. Lo anterior significa modificar el modelo de desarrollo basado en las exportaciones, que por aumentar como sea las exportaciones, contaminan el medio ambiente, destruyen sistemas productivos que estuvieron vigentes desde hace cientos de años; deforestan, queman la Amazonía, no respetan el uso del suelo (plantaciones agrícolas en suelos forestales); alientan el uso intensivo e indiscriminado de agroquímicos; alientan a los OGM (soya) que causa daño a la salud humana y contamina a las semillas nativas de otros productos.

4. Precios justos para los productos básicos lo que significa que los precios cubran los costos de producción (incluyendo la reposición de la tierra, del agua y otros recursos) para generar ingresos a las familias de los productores.

5.Apoyar las tradiciones, prácticas y saberes culturales de los pueblos indígenas respecto a la producción, conservación, transformación y sobre todo respecto al cambio climático (CC), de manera coordinada con los servicios meteorológicos y las medidas de prevención y adaptabilidad al CC.

6. Acortar la cadena de intermediación comercial que incide en los precios de venta y en los ingresos de los productores mediante circuitos cortos de comercialización, información de precios de venta de los mercados; centros de acopio y conservación; mercados campesinos (venta directa productor-consumidor); apoyo de gobiernos municipales para el traslado de los productos a los mercados urbanos entre otros.

7. Evitar la producción privada oligopólica de alimentos que imponen precios indiscriminadamente, a través de políticas públicas y también mediante la creación de empresas públicas de apoyo a la producción y distribución; y/o creación de empresas público/privadas.

8. Comercio exterior. Exportaciones. Se debe priorizar el abastecimiento interno de alimentos ante las masivas exportaciones generadas por el alza de precios internacional (guerra Ucrania-Rusia) a través de medidas arancelarias. Una vez satisfecha la demanda interna y precavido reservas de alimentos ante posible variación del CC, recién exportar los excedentes alimenticios.

En importaciones, establecer políticas internas (aranceles, medidas fitosanitarias) para proteger la producción interna ante la competencia de productos externos (que muchas veces son subsidiados en sus países de origen).

Referente a los productos donados, éstos deben ser aceptados sólo en casos de emergencia (hambrunas, desastres naturales, guerras) y por tiempo limitado, apoyando paralelamente la producción interna de alimentos.

9. Regulación internacional para sancionar a los Estados que violan el Derecho Humano a la Alimentación de su población, cercando a poblaciones para que no accedan a los alimentos, al agua, a los medicamentos y servicios de salud.

Dear Stakeholders,

We kindly ask that your contribution(s) on the use of the CFS policy recommendations on Price Volatility and Social Protection be shared using the appropriate template, provided on the webpages of this Call for Submissions and available in six UN languages (AR, EN, ES, FR, RU, ZH). It will allow the CFS Secretariat to best facilitate the compilation and processing of the contributions.

We thank you in advance and look forward to have your active participation!

Bahar Zorofi and Giorgia Paratore, Secretariat of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS)

FOOD PRICE VOLATILITY

The fluctuation of food prices over time can have significant impacts on both consumers and smallholder farmers as producers. 

CAUSES

Causes of food price volatility:

1. Climate change: Changes in weather patterns can affect the production of crops and cause supply shocks that can lead to price spikes.
2. Increased demand: Rapid population growth and changes in dietary habits have led to increased demand for food, which can drive up prices.
3. Trade policies: Changes in trade policies, such as export restrictions or import tariffs, can affect the availability of food and lead to price volatility.
4. Speculation: Speculators in commodity markets can drive up food prices by buying and selling contracts without ever taking physical delivery of the goods.
5. Energy prices: As food production relies heavily on fossil fuels, changes in energy prices can affect the cost of production and transportation, leading to changes in food prices.

CONSEQUENCES

Consequences for developing countries:

1. Consumer vulnerability: Food price spikes can push many people below the poverty line, making it difficult for them to access sufficient and nutritious food. This is particularly problematic in developing countries, where a large proportion of household income is spent on food.
2. Malnutrition: High food prices can lead to undernutrition, particularly in children, which can have long-term impacts on their health and development.
3. Instability: Food price spikes can lead to political instability and social unrest in developing countries, particularly in countries that are heavily reliant on food imports.
4. Smallholder farmer vulnerability: Smallholder farmers may struggle to cope with price volatility, particularly if they lack access to finance, technology, or information. If they are unable to pass on higher prices to consumers, they may suffer from reduced incomes and food insecurity.

Food price volatility can have significant impacts on both consumers and smallholder farmers as producers in developing countries. Addressing the causes of price volatility and implementing measures to mitigate its consequences is crucial to ensure food security and promote sustainable development in these countries.

POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS

1. Promoting sustainable agriculture practices: Encouraging the adoption of sustainable agriculture practices such as agroforestry, crop diversification, and water conservation can help increase agricultural productivity and reduce supply shocks that can drive up food prices.
2. Investing in rural infrastructure: Improving rural infrastructure, including transportation, communication, and energy systems, can help reduce the costs of production and distribution, making food more affordable and accessible to consumers.
3. Developing social safety nets: Implementing social safety nets such as food assistance programs, targeted subsidies, and income support measures can help protect vulnerable populations from the impact of price volatility.

TECHNOLOGY OPPORTUNITIES

1. Adoption of precision agriculture: Precision agriculture technologies such as satellite imagery, weather sensors, and drones can help farmers improve their yields and reduce the risk of crop failure due to weather patterns and climate change.
2. Adoption of blockchain technology: Blockchain technology is a distributed ledger system that can help enhance transparency, traceability, and accountability in the food system. It can help reduce price volatility by enabling farmers to track the production of their crops from farm to fork, ensuring that they receive a fair price for their products. It can also help reduce transaction costs and improve market efficiency by facilitating direct trade between farmers and consumers.

BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY

Blockchain technology has the potential to revolutionise the way that smallholder farmers in developing countries engage with the food system. By using blockchain, farmers can create a tamper-proof record of their crop production, which can be used to verify the quality and authenticity of their products. This can help to reduce the risk of fraud and ensure that farmers receive a fair price for their crops. Additionally, blockchain can facilitate direct trade between farmers and consumers, eliminating intermediaries and reducing transaction costs. This can help to increase the incomes of smallholder farmers and improve food security for consumers.

SOME BLOCKCHAIN SOLUTIONS

1. AgriDigital: AgriDigital is an Australian blockchain-based platform that enables farmers to manage their grain deliveries, contracts, and payments. By using blockchain, AgriDigital provides farmers with greater transparency and traceability in the grain supply chain, helping to reduce price volatility and improve the efficiency of the market.

2. Provenance: Provenance is a UK-based blockchain platform that enables food producers to track the provenance of their products from farm to fork. By using blockchain, Provenance provides consumers with greater transparency and traceability in the food supply chain, helping to reduce the risk of fraud and ensure that farmers receive a fair price for their products.

3. IBM Food Trust: IBM Food Trust is a blockchain-based platform that enables food producers, retailers, and consumers to track the provenance of their products. By using blockchain, IBM Food Trust provides greater transparency and traceability in the food supply chain, helping to reduce price volatility and improve the efficiency of the market.

Bonjour,

Merci pour ces propositions.

Je me permets de vous joindre cette note adressée au congrès des économistes agricoles européens (EAAE) pour le congrès qui se tiendra fin août début septembre à Rennes : "Agri-food systems in a changing world : connecting science and society".

Je reviens sur la nécessité d'un retour à des politiques de régulation des marchés et des prix agricoles dans le cadre d'un projet de de développement agricole et alimentaire approprié, reposant sur un projet agroécologique.

A votre disposition pour en débattre.

Jacques Loyat

Price Volatility and Food Security have been great issues in the Pakistan. Social Protection for Food Security & Nutrition is an appropriate approach to handle this issue. A National Consultancy was made for developing Balochistan Livestock Breeding Policy 2022 as an attempt to transform the livestock resourcebase in to a tool for generating decent employment for the educated and skilled youth and hygienic/Halal food for the local and internatinoal market. 

Balochistan is Pakistan's southwestern province, the largest in area but the smallest in population, with Quetta as its capital and most populous city. The total area of the province is 34 million ha, of which only 4% is cultivated, and 60% of the cultivated area is rainfed. The rangelands make up about 93 percent of the province. The ranges in Balochistan have been a source of livestock forages, wildlife habitat, medicinal plants, water storage, and distribution. These ranges also provide energy, minerals, fuel wood, recreational facilities, and a natural landscape. Balochistan is rich in natural resources and provides some of the best assets for developmental interventions, as reported by the World Bank in 2008. The vast rangelands support the farming of goats, sheep, buffaloes, cattle, camels, and other livestock. Its southern border makes up about two-thirds of Pakistan’s coastline, giving access to a large pool of fishery resources. This frontier province provides a trade opportunity with the neighbouring countries, resulting in historical and cultural linkages. The province has been supplying cheap natural gas to the rest of the country, supporting industrialization.

Although it has a huge natural resource base, the economy of Balochistan has not done well. The livestock population of the province contributes 52.0%, 41.0%, 22.0%, 12.7%, 11.0%, and 2.6% of Pakistan’s sheep, camels, goats, pack animals, cattle, and buffaloes, respectively. These animals provide a source of employment to about 66% of households in the province in the arid regions, which are unsuitable for cultivating crops. The rising living standards of the people and the rapid urbanisation of the province have resulted in increasing demands for milk and meat products. LDD has been providing services to the farmers, and BRSP has been supporting livestock farmers through a network in 25 districts. However, the commercial aspect of this resource-base is still unexplored, and the poverty level in the province is high.

This Consultant was enthusiastic about providing services for the transformation of the livestock sector from farming into an entrepreneurship base to generate decent employment and exportable foods and biotech products across the livestock breeding value chain (LBVC) under the Balochistan Livestock Breeding Policy 2022 and Action Plan. Presently, LBVC is provided services officially and mainly by the Director General Animal Health with a handsome current budget of Rs. 4.53 billion and a development budget of Rs. 1.63 billion. Looking at the SNE for 2022, it appears that the farmers are served by the regular staff stationed at civil veterinary hospitals and dispensaries, livestock farms, SPUs, dairy and poultry farms, etc. The department is protecting animal health and productivity to some extent, while the entrepreneurial aspect is totally lacking.

Management of the LBVC by the Directorate General Animal Health may be supplemented with inputs from Public Service Organizations (PSOs) through an autonomous Livestock Technopark Quetta (LTQ), an Academia-Industry-Government Nexus, a Triple Helix Model of Good Governance with legislative, regulatory, financial, and administrative powers, to boost entrepreneurship development, regulating and facilitating all the Functional Units at PSOs. An endowment fund (EF) may replace the repeated funding to remove the financial burden on the government treasury. Nine PSOs would work in coordination to achieve the common goal of transforming the provincial livestock resources into prosperity for the people. These resources would be utilised for generating decent employment and quality products that are certified, traceable, and hygienic. Halal foods and biotech products for local and export markets would be produced through an interconnected network of entrepreneurial models covering livestock and poultry farming, dairy and meat factories, diagnostic, clinical, and consultancy centres, and marketing facilities.

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am very much interested in this call.

Please permit me to submit that civil wars and political instability have seriously affected economic development, and have taken a direct toll on food production by driving farmers off their lands. There has also been inadequate public investment in agricultural research, training and infrastructure. The result is declining food production.

Also, climate change is intensifying food insecurity across sub-Saharan Africa, where Russia's war in Ukraine and the pandemic are also adding to food shortages and high prices. Climate events, which destroy crops and disrupt food transport , are disproportionately common in the region.

Truly, food price volatility is higher in African markets than in world markets. World food price volatility has increased since food crisis of 2007–2008.

More so, many factors influence food price volatility, including agriculture and energy policy, commodity prices and market speculation, extreme weather events, rising global demand, and falling surplus stocks. Extreme price fluctuations often lead to political and market overreaction such as export restrictions. While such policies are designed to protect the population of a particular country or region, they can have devastating consequences for global food security.

As an expert in developing programmes and projects on advancing food systems and sufficiency, I believe I have made my points clear.

Kind regards,

Ikechi K. Agbugba (PhD) - GLOBAL MENTOR OF CHANGE RECIPIENT

Price Volatility and Social Protection for Food Security & Nutrition

-Countries to introduce more effective measures to prevent oligopolies

-Public subsidies to be transparent and encourage sustainable agriculture

-International regulation to punish human rights violations by corporations

-Food sovereignty to be supported

-The influence of corporations on politics and administration to be reduced

-Responsible companies as part of the solution

 Dear Sir/Madam

To control of the reliable access to a sufficient quantity of wheat in the world. FAO should announce the same price for wheat produced in the world as a basic food resource and moderate its price in the world according to the increase and decrease in production.

After equalizing the price of wheat and controlling it in global trade, it's import and export tariffs should be removed so that we can reach an acceptable level in the field of minimum security of food quantity in the world.

With this description, the control of wheat production is removed from the monopoly of the governments and the farmers also reach a fair level of income in the countries where agriculture has been oppressed.

Regards

Dr. Gholamhossein Hosseini

Scientist, Cotton Research Institute of Iran

Dear FSN Moderators,

The issues of price volatility, social participation, food security, and nutrition are very much related and important for countries like India. In this regard, the following issue and example may be kindly considered:

"Food insecurity is not only because of poor awareness, availability, and accessibility of food and nutrients; it is also about assistance (provided by public, private, and community organizations) under the leadership of public organizations, which are made accountable for keeping the majority of the population food insecure. If awareness about nutritious foods has to be increased and the possibilities of their local production have to be explored, besides mobilizing, mentoring, and monitoring the public, private, and community organizations to extend assistance (financial, social, cultural, etc.), it also becomes the duty of extension professionals to ensure food security.

As a result, the extension system (Agricultural Technology Management System, or ATMA), Food Security Group (FSG), is proposed in India. These (FSGs) must be reinforced even further."

Regards

S.N.OJHA