The sharp increase in food prices over the past couple of
years has raised serious concerns about the food and nutrition
situation of people around the world, especially the poor
in developing countries; about inflation; and—in some
countries—about civil unrest. Although the relative influence
of various factors on global food price inflation remains
somewhat open to discussion and debate, the underlying
causes are increasingly well understood and noted at the
highest policymaking levels. IFPRI drew attention to the
problem early on and identified the main actions needed to
prevent and mitigate the emerging crisis. This paper aims to
identify more specifically what needs to be done now.