Oxfam response to today's FAO Food Price Index Announcement

Oxfam’s food policy adviser Thierry Kesteloot said: “The hike in food prices is deeply worrying.  Millions more people are sliding into poverty as they struggle to afford basic food supplies and more and more are at risk of going hungry.

“A sit-and wait attitude among governments in the hope that there will be good harvests over the next few months means gambling with people’s lives and increasing the chances of a major global food crisis.

“A co-ordinated international response is needed to tackle the causes of food price increases instead of separate decisions based on national self-interest that will only make the situation worse. This should include curbing speculation to calm the markets, increasing transparency on food stocks and reversing the drive for biofuels. Small-holder farmers must be given support to increase food production and to be part of a sustainable solution, which we all need in the face of growing threats from climate change.”

Read more

FAO Food Price Index