- Creating a $1.2 billion rapid financing facility to speed assistance to the neediest countries.
- Boosting overall agricultural lending to $6 billion over the next year.
- Launching risk management tools and crop insurance to protect poor countries and small-holders.
- Nearly doubling agricultural lending to Africa from $450 million to $800 million; and to Latin America from $250 million to $400 million.
- Supporting over $1billion in new projects in agriculture and rural development in South Asia.
- Doubling lending for social protection, nutrition and food security, and social risk mitigation to $800 over the next year.
- Providing $200 million to Bangladesh to help address the food crisis.
- Providing $100 million to hard-hit Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Madagascar, Mali, and Niger to meet additional expenses of food imports and to buy seeds for the new season.
- Providing grants to Djibouti ($5 million), Haiti ($10 million), and Liberia ($10) to feed poor children and other vulnerable groups.
- Providing grants to Togo, Tajikistan, and Yemen over the coming month.
- Working on irrigation and water management in Ethiopia, fertilizer use in Malawi, market access for smallholders in Senegal, and crop diversification in Mali and Uganda.
- Preparing a food crisis related emergency operation to help Honduras tackle effects of the rising food prices.
- Providing financial assistance to Kyrgyz and Tajikistan for nutritional supplements to pregnant women, lactating mothers, infants and small children.
- Conducting rapid needs assessments for countries impacted by the crisis, including Burkina Faso, Burundi, Eritrea, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Sierra Leone, and Togo.
- Urging major grain-producing countries to lift or refrain from bans on food exports.
- Working with other donors and agencies on the African Union's New Partnership for Africa's Development Program for agriculture development in Sub-Saharan Africa.
- Report: Double Jeopardy: Responding to High Food and Fuel Prices (pdf) - Jul 02, 08
- Malawi Eyes Markets to Help Manage Drought
Risk - Jun 16, 08 - Action, Resources and Results Needed now for Food Crisis, Zoellick says - Jun 4, 08
- Zoellick Speech to Rome World Food Security Summit - Jun 3, 08
- Zoellick Calls on Rome Conf for Urgent Action for 20 Most Vulnerable Countries - Jun 3, 08
- World Bank Launches $1.2 Billion Fast-Track Facility for Food Crisis - May 29, 08
- Zoellick Welcomes U.S. Action on Food
Crisis - May 1, 08 - Bank President Calls for Plan to Fight Hunger - Apr 29, 08
- Zoellick Thanks Ukraine for Lifting Export Ban - Apr 24, 08
- Bank Welcomes Call for G8 Addressing Food
Crisis - Apr 21, 08 - Food Price Crisis Imperils 100 Million in Poor
Countries - Apr 14, 08 - Haiti: World Bank Plans Emergency US$10 million Grant to Ease Food Price Impacts - Apr 12, 08
- Food Price Surge Could mean '7 Lost Years' in
Poverty Fight - Apr 11, 08 - Zoellick speech calling for New Deal on Global
Food Policy - Apr 2, 08
G8 Must Act Now as 'World Entering a Danger Zone,' Zoellick Says
July 2, 2008—World Bank Group President Robert B. Zoellick has called on leaders of the G8 as well as the major oil producers to act now to deal with surging food and energy prices, warning that the world is now “entering a danger zone.”
Zoellick’s call is contained in a letter to the head of the upcoming G8 summit in Japan, in which the Bank, World Food Program (WFP) and International Monetary Fund estimate that about $10 billion is needed to meet short term needs of people hit hardest by the crisis.
July 2, 2008—World Bank Group President Robert B. Zoellick has called on leaders of the G8 as well as the major oil producers to act now to deal with surging food and energy prices, warning that the world is now “entering a danger zone.”
Zoellick’s call is contained in a letter to the head of the upcoming G8 summit in Japan, in which the Bank, World Food Program (WFP) and International Monetary Fund estimate that about $10 billion is needed to meet short term needs of people hit hardest by the crisis.
- Press Release
- Study (pdf)
The Food Crisis: a Man-Made Problem
High fuel costs have resulted in higher agriculture costs, falling food stocks, and land shifted out of food production to produce biofuels.
The international community should help those in danger today and ensure the poor don’t suffer this tragedy again.
The task is clear, but not simple.
High fuel costs have resulted in higher agriculture costs, falling food stocks, and land shifted out of food production to produce biofuels.
The international community should help those in danger today and ensure the poor don’t suffer this tragedy again.
The task is clear, but not simple.
1. World Food Programme
- Fully fund the World Food Programme's emergency needs
- Support its drive to buy food aid locally
- Ensure the unhampered movement of humanitarian assistance
2. Safety Nets
Support safety nets, such as distributing food in schools or offering food for work, to quickly help those in severe distress.
Support safety nets, such as distributing food in schools or offering food for work, to quickly help those in severe distress.
3. Seeds and Fertilizer
Get seeds and fertilizer for the coming planting season to farmers in poor countries.
The key is not just financing, but fast delivery systems.
Get seeds and fertilizer for the coming planting season to farmers in poor countries.
The key is not just financing, but fast delivery systems.
4. Agricultural Research
Double spending on agricultural research and development to $800 million over the next 5 years through the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research.
Double spending on agricultural research and development to $800 million over the next 5 years through the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research.
5. Agribusiness
Invest more in agribusiness to tap into the private sector's ability to work across the value chain.
Invest more in agribusiness to tap into the private sector's ability to work across the value chain.
6. Risk Management
Develop innovative risk management tools and crop insurance to protect poor farmers and help build food security.
Develop innovative risk management tools and crop insurance to protect poor farmers and help build food security.
7. Biofuels
Ease subsidies, mandates and tariffs on biofuels derived from corn and oilseeds. Policymakers should consider "safety valves" that ease these policies when prices are high.
The choice does not have to be food or fuel.
Ease subsidies, mandates and tariffs on biofuels derived from corn and oilseeds. Policymakers should consider "safety valves" that ease these policies when prices are high.
The choice does not have to be food or fuel.
8. Export Bans
Remove export bans that have led to even higher world prices.
28 countries have imposed such controls. Removing these bans could have a dramatic effect.
Remove export bans that have led to even higher world prices.
28 countries have imposed such controls. Removing these bans could have a dramatic effect.
9. Trade
Conclude the Doha WTO trade deal to remove agricultural subsidies and tariffs and create a more efficient and fair global food trade.
The need for multilateral rules has never been stronger.
Conclude the Doha WTO trade deal to remove agricultural subsidies and tariffs and create a more efficient and fair global food trade.
The need for multilateral rules has never been stronger.
10. Collective Action
Work together to counter global risks.
The challenges of energy, food and water will be drivers of the world economy and security.
The time to act is now.
Work together to counter global risks.
The challenges of energy, food and water will be drivers of the world economy and security.
The time to act is now.
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The World Bank Group’s New Deal on Global Food Policy has been endorsed by 150 countries. The New Deal embraces short, medium and long-term responses: including safety nets such as school feeding, food for work, and conditional cash transfers; increased agricultural production; a better understanding of the impact of biofuels; and action on the trade front to reduce distorting subsidies and trade barriers. The Bank is taking action by:
- World Dev't Report '08: Agriculture
- Policy Note on Rising Food Prices (pdf)
- Policy Research: Implications of Higher Global Food Prices in Low-Income Countries
- Country Policies (pdf)
- Country Needs Assessments
- Global Monitoring Report 2008
- High Food Prices - A Harsh New Reality
- June 24, Video Conference: Addressing the Food Price Crisis in Europe and Central Asia
- July 7-9, Hokkaido, Japan: Food crisis added to G8 Summit agenda
25 cents will provide one hungry child's meal. $15 will feed 10 children for a week. Donate online to World Food Program.
Help breed nutritious rice for the world by donating your computer's idle time. Join World Community Grid.
- Africa: Effects of High Food Prices
- East Asia and Pacific Blog: Rising Food Prices - Trends and Options
- East Europe & Central Asia: Face Slower Growth
- Latin America & Caribbean: Food Crisis
- South Asia: Cultivating Rice on Less Water in India
Rising Prices
Soaring prices have been blamed on lower agricultural production, weather shocks, more meat consumption, and shifts to biofuel crops.
- Wheat prices are up 120%.
- Rice prices are up 75%.
- Poor families spend up to 80% of their budget on food.
Impact
High food prices are a matter of daily struggle for more than 2 billion people. High prices threaten to increase malnutrition, already an underlying cause of death in over 3.5 million children a year.
- An estimated 100 million people have fallen into poverty in the last 2 years
- Prices are expected to stay high through 2015
Africa
21 of 36 countries in a food security crisis are in Sub-Saharan Africa, according to FAO. The region imports 45% of its wheat and 84% of its rice.
- West Africa, the Horn of Africa, and fragile states are especially vulnerable.
- Weather-related shocks and civil strife worsen the impact in some countries.
Asia
Most countries in South Asia are net food importers and have suffered severe trade shocks.
- A 2 kg bag of rice now costs half the daily income of a poor family in Bangladesh
In Indonesia, a 10% rise in rice prices means 2 million more people will be plunged into poverty, according to a recent assessment.
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