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THE
spike in the prices of food will hit the poor the
hardest and pose risks to their nutrition, especially if
the government will not take measures to shield them
from price increases, warned the International Food
Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
“Higher
food prices lead poor people to limit their food
consumption and shift to even less-balanced diets, with
harmful effects on health in the short and long run,”
said Joachim von Braun in a report.
In
effect, higher food prices could make it harder for
developing countries like the Philippines to meet the
Millennium Development Goal of significantly reducing
malnutriton by 2015.
At the
household level, von Braun noted that the poor spend
about 50 percent to 60 percent of their overall budget
on food. Here in the Philippines, the National
Statistics Office (NSO) earlier revealed that the food
account for 50 percent of the expenses incurred by
households.
The
IFPRI estimated that for a five-person household living
on $1 per person per day, a 50-percent increase in food
prices removes up to $1.50 from their $5 budget.
“Growing energy costs also add to their adjustment
burden,” said von Braun.
To help
the poor cope with the spike in food prices, the IFPRI
said developing-country governments such as the
Philippine should expand their social-protection
programs or safety-net programs like food or income
transfers and nutrition programs focused on early
childhood for the poorest people.
“Some of
the poorest people in developing countries are not well
connected to markets and, thus will feel few effects
from rising food prices, but the much higher
international prices could mean serious hardship for
millions of urban-poor consumers and poor rural
residents who are net-food buyers,” said von Braun.
To
achieve long-term agricultural growth, the IFPRI said
developing countries should increase their medium- and
long-term investments in agricultural research and
extension, rural infrastructure and market access for
small farmers.
“Rural
investments have been sorely neglected in recent
decades, and now is the time to reverse this trend.
Farmers in many developing countries are operating in an
environment of inadequate infrastructure like roads,
electricity and communications; poor soils; lack of
storage and processing capacity; and little or no access
to agricultural technologies that could increase their
profits and improve their livelihoods,” said von Braun.
The
IFPRI also urged aid donors to expand its development
assistance to agriculture, rural services, and science
and technology. |
