Food and fuel prices are currently on the rise because the deteriorating economic situation has lead to worldwide inflation through quantitative easing programmes and speculation on commodities. The increase in prices of food has been particularly problematic to the poorest groups because cereal prices have more than tripled on some indexes between 2000 to 2008, and much of the developing world relies on cereals as a staple food. As prices rise, vulnerable groups switch to lower quality foods to attain adequate calories and as a result their nutritional status and health declines and disease levels increase. Research shows that energy consumption declined between 2006 and 2010 in line with the rise in food prices in nearly all developing nations (table 1). An additional 457 million people may be at increased risk of nutritional hunger as a result of this rise.
Recent research published in the Journal of Nutrition in 20101 has reviewed the current effects of global financial crisis and assessed the impacts on food consumption, nutrition and health. The researchers found that households in developing nations have reduced the dietary diversity and energy intake in response to the increase in food prices. Foods most likely to be reduced were the energy dense animal protein foods including eggs, fish, milk and meat. If the savings from these foods were insufficient to cope, then salt, oil, sugar and other staples were reduced. This strategy may lead to multiple nutrient deficiencies, which in turn can lead to an increase in infections, a greater susceptibility to disease and a reduced capacity for repair and growth. Severe calories restriction tends to lead to underweight children and adolescents and often adults will reduce their calories to allow greater nutrition for their children.
Table 1. Projected changes in food consumption by region of the developing world as a result of changes in food prices and incomes, 2006-20101
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