Food prices have reached record levels, and we’re all feeling the pinch. At the current rate, 600 million people will be hungry by 2020 – that’s ten times the population of the UK. Combined with longer-term problems like rain and crop failure, we’re now facing a serious crisis.

• Poor people in developing countries spend between 50-80 per cent of their income on food
• Wheat prices are up 120 per cent and rice prices have risen by 75 per cent

The issue is already being played out in food riots across the globe; Mexico, Egypt, Tanzania and Senegal have all seen their people take to the streets.

Why is it happening?
Climate change, high oil prices, increased demand from China and India, population growth and the growing pressure for biofuels are just some of the reasons for soaring prices.

But there are other factors playing a part, like underinvestment in agriculture, the dominance of big companies, and the mismanagement of agriculture and food policy.

What needs to happen?
Food prices are threatening the lives of some of the world’s most vulnerable people. But they are also an opportunity for governments to act:

• Rich countries must give more money to poor countries to help reduce the immediate shock of high food prices
• They must also review their current targets for biofuels, which often directly compete against food and feed crops
• They should reform the food aid system so that instead of shipping food from miles away they buy it locally or give people cash

Poor country governments have a role to play too. They must invest in agriculture and infrastructure to help put small farmers in a better position to benefit from higher prices. Any they need to be wary of signing up to unfair economic agreements.

What we are doing
In our humanitarian responses we are already employing a broad range of tools adapted to local conditions. These include food distributions, cash or voucher handouts, buying food locally in times of drought, and other work aimed at reducing people’s vulnerability to market fluctuations.

We are doing a lot of work on reducing people’s risk to disaster and helping them prepare for natural events that may be inevitable. This includes working with governments to put social protection programmes in place.

We are also campaigning on civilians’ rights to protection and basic services in humanitarian crises. This includes holding governments and the international community to account to ensure that people have access to food, water, and basic services, even during conflicts.

Our campaigning and advocacy work on climate change, agriculture, and trade rules takes high food prices into account and includes recommendations aimed at preventing further negative impact. For example, we are urging caution on the expansion of biofuels mandates, asking governments to invest more in agriculture, and calling for more money to help poor countries adapt to climate change.

We will continue to monitor closely what is happening in food markets and the impact it is having on poor people. We will work with others, including our partners on the ground, academics, governments, and other non-governmental organisations, to devise the best responses to the challenges posed by the evolving situation.

What can I do?

Fundraising – Donate now to help Oxfam’s work fighting the global food crisis
Campaigning – Sign the petition to get world governments to help the world’s poorest