World Food Crisis 2008

1. World Food Crisis 2008 All God’s People Need Food

2. High Grain Prices SeparateHaves and Have Nots • Richest 20% in world consume 16 times as much food as the poorest 20% • Industrialized Countries spend 10-20% on food • Developing Countries spend 60-80% on food

3. Who are the have nots? • FAO has documented we have 854 million who are undernourished at less than 1700 calories per day • More than 1 billion people live on less than $1 per day – the extreme poor • Another 1.5 billion people live on between one to two dollars per day

4. Jesus Calls Us to Follow Him - to bond with the hungry - to serve the hungry • For I was hungry and you gave me food • For I was thirsty and you gave me water

5. Looking beneath the $1 a day line Poor ($.75 cents – $1) 485 million people Medial poor ($.50 cents – $.75 cents) 323 million people Ultra poor (less than $.50 cents) 162 million people Source: Ahmed, et al. 2007.

6. Who are the Extreme Poor? • Poor 485 million people between $.75 cents & $1 • Medial Poor 323 million people between $.50 cents & $.75 cents

7. Ultra Poor 162 million people less than $.50 cents • Do we have strategies to find the hungry in their moment of need?

8. Where are they? Malnourished children- dark gray 40%+, light pink 30-39%, darker mauve 20-29%, yellow 10-19%, red less than 10%

9. The growing number of the poorest in SSA Living below US$.50/day (1990-2004) Where are the poorest? Source: Ahmed et al. 2007.

10. 72% of Sub-Saharan Africans live on less than $2 a day • 59% of Asians (excluding China) live on less than $2 a day • Asian poverty declined in last 20 years while African poverty grew

11. World Prices as tracked by FAO

12. Surge in cereal and oil prices Commodity prices (US$/ton) New trend? Source: Data from FAO 2007 and IMF 2007.

13. GLOBAL FOOD PRICE RISES • Wheat: 130% • Soya: 87% • Rice: 74% • Corn: 31% • Time: One Year to March 2008 Source: Bloomberg

15. Grain Market Forces Collide With Food Needs of Poor • Production is insufficient. • Stocks of wheat and rice are at 25 year low. • Bio fuels are demanding more food stocks. • Food riots threaten to create instability in 37 countries. • Tariffs and subsidies in US and Europe depress local markets.

17. The poor need livelihoods. • They need to grow their own food if at all possible. • They may need rural extension and marketing services. • They may need basic health care to maximize their opportunities. • They may need literacy and new skills.

18. Pro-poor policy actions to adapt and mitigate food price problem Developed countries Eliminate agricultural trade barriers, expand / re-visit aid priorities for agriculture and rural services, including social protection

19. Pro Poor Policy Actions 2. Developing countries • Increase investment in agriculture, rural infrastructure and market access for small farmers • Expand social protection (rural and urban) for the poorest

20. Pro Poor Policy Actions 3. Science and Technology (CGIAR and NARS) • Facilitate production response by agriculture science- and technology-based solutions (China, India, Africa) Joachim von Braun IFPRI, IFAD, FAO

21. Pro Poor Policy Actions • 4. Support Agriculture programs for the poor • Stand With Africa • World Hunger • Seek LWR and LWF programs that target the poorest of the poor

22. Sources cited • FAO • BBC • Guardian • World Bank Compiled by Pastor Chuck Fluegel East Central Wisconsin Synod of the ELCA