PREÇOS ALIMENTARES EM ÁFRICA

A subida dos preços dos produtos alimentares continua e ameaça principalmente os países mais pobres. Muitas organizações internacionais já manifestaram a sua preocupação sobre as consequências da crise alimentar. Aqui está a posição do Banco Mundial sobre o impacto que a subida dos preços alimentares pode ter em África:

"Are higher global food prices a special concern for the Africa region?
RT: Yes. On average, basic staples such as maize, rice and wheat account for 20 percent of the food consumed in Sub-Saharan Africa, with these three crops alone providing about 30 percent of the calories. Higher global food prices have also led to higher local food prices, particularly for rice and wheat. Forty five percent of rice and 85 percent of wheat consumed in the region is imported. The region almost produces enough maize to meet domestic demand, with imports from international markets accounting for only five percent of consumption. Significant differences in grain consumption patterns across the region have led to differing impacts. The region imports almost all the fertilizer it uses, and because fertilizer prices have doubled over the last year, there is growing concern about the negative impacts on food production in the planting season ahead.
Which African countries are most affected by higher food prices, and why?
RT: Countries in West Africa, the Horn of Africa, and fragile African states recovering from conflict are especially vulnerable to higher global food prices. In West Africa, rice accounts for a much larger share of food consumption than in Eastern and Southern Africa. As more rice than maize is imported, local food prices in West Africa will be more affected. Countries with local supply disruptions are also particularly vulnerable to global price increases, as experience with the drought in Burkina Faso, the recent cyclone in Madagascar, and localized floods in Ghana have shown. Less local supply means more reliance on imports to meet domestic demand -- imports which are now much more costly. Within these countries, the poor will be especially vulnerable as they often spend as much as half their disposable income on food."