Squeezed: life in a time of food price volatility, year 1 results
Squeezed is an account of the cumulative pressures of food price rises on everyday life in developing countries, and how they are changing behaviour, relationships, and social organisation in ways that matter for development. While the ‘food crisis’ is no longer headline news, it has not gone away. Food prices continue to rise and at times to spike; that this is causing hardship is not in question. Squeezed aims to help policy makers think about how to respond to food price volatility by directing attention to the following:
- how people and societies are adapting to food price changes
- what action could usefully be taken now
- what aspects of adaptation need better monitoring
- what needs to be better understood about these complex changes.
Squeezed summarises Year 1 findings from a 10 country four year study, called ‘Life in a Time of Food Price Volatility’.
Ultimately Squeezed provides reasons to prepare for the next food price spike and provides recommendations for how best to do so, including:
- widening social assistance for the most vulnerable
- being ready with temporary spike-proofing measures
- monitoring the real impacts on people’s lives and wellbeing
- rethinking social protection policy
- enabling people to participate in policies to tackle food price volatility.
Separate reports of the research findings for each country in 2012 are available, in addition to a detailed account of the research methodology.
For more information visit Oxfam UK’s website: http://policypractice.oxfam.org.uk/publications/squeezed-life-in-a-time-of-food-price-volatility-year-1-results-292412
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Reference this page
Naomi Hossain et al. (2014). Squeezed: life in a time of food price volatility, year 1 results. Nutrition Exchange 4, July 2014. p28. www.ennonline.net/nex/4/en/squeezed