24 Feb 2005

The UN Food and Agricultural Organisation have released a new biennial publication. Its first publication identifies that prices for agricultural commodities have fallen by around two percent per year during the last four decades.

The good news is that falling prices mean cheaper food for poor people and poor food importing countries.

The bad news is that the reduced prices mean loss of income and unemployment for the rural poor and for agriculturally based countries. The agricultural problems of poor nations are exacerbated by: agricultural subsidies in rich countries; tariffs on higher-value, processed products; and the inability of poorer farmers to diversify their production.

Click on the following link to view the publication: Agricultural Commodity Markets