The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2011 highlights the
differential impacts that the world food crisis of 2006-08 had
on different countries, with the poorest being most affected.
While some large countries were able to deal with the worst of
the crisis, people in many small import-dependent countries
experienced large price increases that, even when only
temporary, can have permanent effects on their future earnings
capacity and ability to escape poverty. This year’s report
focuses on the costs of food price volatility, as well as the
dangers and opportunities presented by high food prices. Climate
change and an increased frequency of weather shocks, increased
linkages between energy and agricultural markets due to growing
demand for biofuels, and increased financialization of food and
agricultural commodities all suggest that price volatility is
here to stay. The report describes the effects of price
volatility on food security and presents policy options to
reduce volatility in a cost-effective mann