Blog Category

Food Prices

Resilience in Rwanda: New Brief Looks at Impact of Economic Shock

Jun 27th, 2024 • by Sara Gustafson

On January 12, 2024, trade between Rwanda and Burundi came to a halt when the border crossing was unexpectedly closed. Food prices in Rwanda may have been expected to fluctuate more than normal as a result—both falling prices for commodities typically exported to Burundi that instead began flooding local markets and rising prices for commodities typically imported from Burundi that faced suddenly limited local supply.

Political Commitment to Improved Nutrition Grows in Africa But Significant Challenges Remain: 2024 GFPR Released

Jun 7th, 2024 • by Sara Gustafson

The transformation of African food systems to support healthy, sustainable diets presents a significant challenge, according to the 2024 Global Food Policy Report released in May. Cereal production remains the key driver of the region’s domestic food systems, while more nutrient-dense foods like fruits, vegetables, pulses, meat, and dairy remain unaffordable for much of the region’s population. Africa also faces a double burden of malnutrition, with both undernutrition and overnutrition (overweight/obesity) rates increasing.

Soaring cocoa prices: Diverse impacts and implications for key West African producers

May 10th, 2024 • by MARTIN PAUL JR. TABE-OJONG, ONASIS THARCISSE ADETUMI GUEDEGBE, AND JOSEPH GLAUBER

Cocoa bean prices have been rising since the last quarter of 2023, hitting a record high of $10.97 per kilogram on April 19 (Figure 1). The price spike is due to a significant drop in bean production by major global suppliers—four key producing nations in West and Central Africa account for more than 60% of the world's supply of cocoa beans: Cote d’Ivoire (with 38% of the global production in 2022), Ghana (19%), Nigeria (5%), and Cameroon (5%).1

Soaring cocoa prices: Diverse impacts and implications for key West African producers

May 9th, 2024 • by MARTIN PAUL JR. TABE-OJONG, ONASIS THARCISSE ADETUMI GUEDEGBE, AND JOSEPH GLAUBER

Cocoa bean prices have been rising since the last quarter of 2023, hitting a record high of $10.97 per kilogram on April 19 (Figure 1). The price spike is due to a significant drop in bean production by major global suppliers—four key producing nations in West and Central Africa account for more than 60% of the world's supply of cocoa beans: Cote d’Ivoire (with 38% of the global production in 2022), Ghana (19%), Nigeria (5%), and Cameroon (5%).1