In 2007 and 2008, the world witnessed a dramatic increase in food prices. The global financial crisis that began in 2008 compounded the burden of high food prices, exacerbating the problems of hunger and malnutrition in developing countries. Women and children face the greatest risk in times of food shortage, as they are often given less food, forced to work outside the home, and are kept from accessing health services.
To better understand and find ways to address these issues, the Institute of Medicine, with funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the PepsiCo Foundation, held the workshop “Mitigating the Nutritional Impacts of the Global Food Price Crisis” on July 14-16, 2009, in Washington, DC. Presenters discussed the technological, agricultural, and economic circumstances contributing to the rise in food prices. They addressed the impact of this increase on health and nutrition in resource-poor communities and suggested ways in which the situation might be alleviated. This report summarizes the workshop discussions.