NUTRITION

Food prices. On April 28, the board of the Latin American and Caribbean Parliament (PARLATINO) approved a declaration in which it expresses concern about the rise in food prices and urges the 23 member countries to deepen efforts “to promote laws and public policies to mitigate the effects of rising prices” with a focus on the most vulnerable people. The link between this international organization and national parliaments can be the basis for promoting and working on regulations to help mitigate the seriousness of the situation.

In contextualizing the problem, PARLATINO points out that Latin America, despite being the largest net exporter of food in the world, has suffered an additional increase in inflation as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war between Russia and Ukraine. However, it stresses the importance of high-level political commitment, primarily from parliaments, in defining policy frameworks to mitigate rising food prices and safeguard supplies in order to ensure food and nutrition security.

To address the situation, PARLATINO urges its 23 member countries, with a sense of urgency, to take measures with a focus on the most vulnerable people, such as women, youth, and people living in poverty. In particular, it urges governments to prioritize this issue on the agenda of parliaments; to promote market access by keeping international trade in food and fertilizers open; to establish monitoring of food prices in the region; and to continue and expand social protection measures.

Next steps

The declaration contains recommendations for actions that governments can consider to respond to the effects of rising food prices. While these are non-binding recommendations, member countries can be expected to consider implementing similar policies, such as price ceilings and changes to import tariffs on certain products.