Food prices up on wheat price rise

1 September 2010, Rome - Surging wheat prices drove international food prices up five percent last month in the biggest month-on-month increase since November 2009, FAO announced.

The FAO Food Price Index (FFPI) averaged 176 points in August, up nearly nine points from July, FAO said in its latest update on the global cereals supply and demand situation. The increase - five percent - brought the Index up to its highest level since September 2008, but still 38 percent down from its peak in June 2008.

Press Release No:2011/074/SDN

WASHINGTON, August 31, 2010 – With the global population expected to reach nine billion by 2050, economic development spurring demand for more and better food, and increased hydrological variability caused by climate change, a review of the World Bank Group’s water strategy calls for better information and a more integrated approach to water management.

“We can't properly tackle global priorities of food security, renewable energy, adaptation to climate change, public health, and urbanization unless we manage water better,” said Julia Bucknall, Water Sector Manager for the World Bank. “And to manage water better, we really can't sidestep solid hydrological analysis.”

Press Release No. 10/321

August 30, 2010 -- The International Monetary Fund (IMF) today expanded and enhanced its lending tools to help contain the occurrence of financial crises. As part of the efforts to enhance the institution’s crisis-prevention toolkit, the Fund’s Executive Board decided to increase the duration and credit available under the existing Flexible Credit Line (FCL) and to establish a new Precautionary Credit Line (PCL) for members with sound policies who nevertheless may not meet the FCL’s high qualification requirements.

31 August 2010 – While Viet Nam has made considerable strides in curbing poverty in the past 20 years, efforts must be ramped up to ensure that no one is left behind as the Asian nation continues its economic growth, a United Nations independent human rights expert said today.

Wrapping up a nine-day visit to the country, Magdalena Sepúlveda, the UN Independent Expert on the question of human rights and extreme poverty, stressed that poverty should not be understood purely as an economic issue that can be solved solely by boosting household incomes.

30 August 2010 – The United Nations humanitarian arm is seeking urgent assistance for Niger, where recent flooding has displaced nearly 200,000 people and aggravated a food crisis in which almost half of the country’s 15 million people are experiencing hunger.

The floods which began earlier this month have been blamed for at least five deaths and the loss of 100,000 cattle, according to Modibo Traoré, the head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Niger, who noted that the numbers could increase in the coming days.

“We have still one month ahead for the rainy season and currently the rainfall is continuing almost throughout the country, and we may expect much more victims of the flood,” he cautioned in an interview with UN Radio.

30 August 2010 – Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have an invaluable role to play in advancing global health goals, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today at the annual United Nations conference aimed at boosting the participation of civil society on key issues.

Mr. Ban told the 63rd UN Department of Public Information/NGO Conference that partnerships between civil society and governments and the private sector will be critical if the world is to make serious inroads in the number of preventable deaths, particularly of women and children.

Press Release No. 10/319

August 27, 2010 - A staff team from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) visited Guatemala during August 17-26, 2010 to conduct the fourth and final review of the Stand-By Arrangement approved in April 2009 (see Press Release No. 09/142). The mission met with Minister of Finance Edgar Balsells; Central Bank Governor María Antonieta de Bonilla; Superintendent of Banks Edgar Barquín; other senior government officials, and representatives of the private sector.

At the end of the visit Mr. Alejandro Lopez-Mejía, the IMF mission chief for Guatemala, made the following statement:

en español

Roma, 31 de agosto de 2010 – Los campesinos afectados por la tormenta Agatha que destrozó caminos, cultivos y cosechas vitales para la supervivencia de la población del departamento del Quiché recibieron un nuevo respiro a través de un apoyo de US$300,000 aprobado el 23 de agosto por el Fondo Internacional de Desarrollo Agrícola (FIDA).

The IMF and Civil Society

August 27, 2010 -- A high participation by labor leaders is anticipated during a coming conference that will discuss key policy questions about unemployment and decent work.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF), the International Labor Organization (ILO) are jointly organizing a high-level conference the challenges of growth, employment and social cohesion on September 13, 2010 in Oslo. The main objective is to tackle the difficult—but critical—policy questions posed by the steep rise in joblessness and the setback to growth and poverty reduction.

26 August 2010 – The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has welcomed a new campaign launched by the Angolan Government to reduce maternal and infant mortality, and encouraged authorities to ensure the necessary budget resources to improve health for women and children.

The campaign focuses on strengthening the health system at the municipal level by providing improved maternal and child health-care services, as well as teaching healthy habits for mothers and children at home.

A recent Angolan Government survey showed significant strides in reducing maternal and infant mortality since 2002. The rate of under-five deaths has dropped from 250 to 195 per 1,000 live births, while the maternal mortality rate decreased from 1,400 to 660 per 100,000 live births.