African countries hardest hit by food inflation - report

THE latest Food Security Update from the World Bank has shown that African countries have been hit hardest by food inflation, impacted by several factors such as climate change, poverty, and inadequate infrastructure.

The report, released at the end of last month revealed that over 57.9 percent of low-income countries still grapple with inflation rates higher than five percent.

This was despite a slight decrease of 5.3 percentage points since the last update in February 2024.

Similarly, lower-middle-income countries experience inflation in 71.7 percent of cases, albeit with a decrease of 2.2 percentage points.

“Domestic food price inflation (measured as year-onyear change in the food component of a country’s Consumer Price Index remains high,” according to the report.

The report showed that the impact of disasters on agricultural and agri-food systems worldwide had reached unprecedented levels, resulting in significant damage and loss.

According to the report, over the past few decades, the frequency and severity of these events had surged, with approximately 400 disasters per year, compared with 100 in the 1970s.

“These disruptions, ranging from extreme weather occurrences such as floods and wildfires to pest outbreaks and armed conflicts, have multifaceted consequences, posing threats to food security and sustainability of agricultural sectors globally,” the report stated. The report underlined that low and lower-middle-income countries had been impacted the most severely, with disasters inflicting losses ranging between 10 and 15 percent of their agricultural Gross Domestic Product.

The impacts reportedly extended beyond economic losses, with significant implications for food security and livelihoods, particularly in vulnerable regions such as small island developing states.

Climate change, along with other factors such as pandemics, conflict, and unsustainable land use, exacerbates these risks, creating a complex web of interconnected challenges.

Addressing these challenges requires proactive measures and investment in disaster risk-reduction strategies.

The report highlights the effectiveness of farm-level disaster risk-reduction practices such as soil conservation and adoption of resilient crop varieties.