A. M. The World Bank has warned of a sustained increase in food prices, with maize and rice registering increases of 24% and 26%, respectively, in its latest Food Security Update. Although wheat is down 3%, food price inflation remains high in many low-income countries, with 73.7% facing inflation above 5%.
Compared to January 2024, maize prices are up 10%, while wheat and rice are down 6% and 19%, respectively. However, compared to January 2020, corn is up 27%, reflecting a long-term upward trend. In addition, international corn export prices have reached their highest level in 15 months due to supply concerns.
The report also highlights that the global food crisis has worsened due to trade restrictions imposed by various countries. As of february 2025, 17 countries have established 22 food export bans and another 8 have implemented 12 restrictive measures, limiting the availability of products on the global market and putting upward pressure on prices.
Despite growing food insecurity, funding for the food sector remains insufficient. Only 3% of total development funding goes to this sector, in contrast to 33% for humanitarian assistance. This highlights the lack of investment in sustainable solutions to mitigate the crisis and improve global food production.
The projected economic stagnation until 2026, with global growth of 2.7%, makes it even more difficult to reduce poverty and food insecurity. Factors such as high inflation, rising debt and trade disruptions aggravate the situation, affecting the most vulnerable countries and making it urgent to implement measures to guarantee access to basic foodstuffs at a global level.
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