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| | | Title | FOOD PRICE CRISIS AND FOOD INSECURITY IN KENYA | | Author | Emongor, R.A. | | Subject | Food Security | | Publisher | African Research and Resource Forum (ARRF) | | Number of Pages | 29 pages | | Language | English | | Geographical Coverage | Kenya | | Keywords | Food Prices, Food Insecurity, Price Volatility, High Food Prices | | Abstract | A study was carried out using secondary data to review food price crisis and food insecurity in Kenya. Food prices have been increasing in Kenya since 2006 to date. Prices of staple foods such as maize, wheat and milk among others have been rising progressively diminishing access to food for the poorer sections of the population leading to food insecurity in many households. Underlying causes of food price crisis and food insecurity include both demand side and supply side factors. Demand side factors include: rapid population growth, rapid urbanization, low income, poverty and increasing demand for food products for biofuel production in developed nations. Supply side factors include: declining agricultural productivity, high input prices, decline in world food stocks, underinvestment in rural infrastructure, climate change and climate variability, underinvestment in agriculture, poor markets and market access by small holder farmers. The impacts of food price crisis manifest as high food prices, political instability, food insecurity, increasing poverty, and declining agricultural productivity. Both short-term and longterm policies have been enacted by the government and other stakeholders to address the problem. Short term coping strategies include provisions of emergency food assistance by the government and donors, adoption of food policy nets (food subsidies, cash transfers, food for work and school feeding programmes), adjustment of trade and tax measures, enhancement of agricultural production by providing agricultural input subsidies and administered prices for producers. Long term policy measures include investment in agricultural research and extension, investment in rural infrastructure (irrigation, marketing infrastructure etc), investment in financial services and agro-processing. The study concluded that food price crisis and food insecurity are a reality in Kenya and necessary interventions are required to deal with it. | | Copyright Holder | African Research and Resource Forum (ARRF) | | Copyright URL | http://www.arrforum.org/ | | Filesize | 404213 MB | | File Format | PDF | | [ View / download original document ] |
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