IMF-World Bank Global Monitoring Report 2012: Food Prices, Nutrition and the MDGs

Oxfam spokesperson Sasanka Thilakasiri said:

“According to the GMR, food price spikes in 2011 alone plunged 44 million more people into poverty.

“It’s very difficult for poor people to adjust to food price spikes, because they often spend more than half their incomes on food.

“Women bear the biggest burden for feeding and caring for children, the sick and the elderly, and food price rises cause them enormous hardship.

“To feed their families, women in poor countries often eat less food themselves, travel long distances to find food, and even resort to begging. These efforts have gone unnoticed by policy makers. Women need more support when they are hit by food price volatility and other economic shocks.”

“A strong response to future food price spikes is essential to protect progress towards the Millennium Development Goals [MDGs]."

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The Millennium Development Goals

What a global food crisis looks like: Oxfam's food prices map