Thread by @FilandroMi

Skyrocketing #global #foodprices, panicked low income and poorer fringes of the population facing severe #hardship, struggling #emergingmarkets and #SriLanka on the verge of #anarchy - all wrapped up in a massive #market sell-off: what is happening 🌎 ❓

Things did not improve in April on #food prices:
the #FAO Food Price Index fell 0.8% month-over-month to 158.5 points in April 2022, but still remained close to the all-time high of 159.7 points in March.

#vegetableoil prices declined significantly (-5.7%) after hitting an all-time high in March under pressure from #palm, #sunflower and #soybean #oils.

In addition, #grain prices fell slightly (-0.4%), after also rising to all-time highs in March.

Meanwhile, #dairy prices rose for the 8th consecutive month (0.9%) due to slowing production in #WesternEurope and #Oceania and increased demand for #butter due to shortages of #sunfloweroil and #margarine in Western #Europe.

Finally, #meat prices (2.2%) rose sharply due to #supplyshortages in the Northern hemisphere and disruptions in #Ukraine, as well as #sugar (3.3%), supported by #ethanol production.

In short, all food costs more than a few months ago, and something less than last month, but the levels are still enough to make many in the poorest countries go hungry
fao.org/worldfoodsitua…

The first country that is heading for hunger and poverty anarchy is #SriLanka. This country declared a #stateofemergency for the second time in five weeks after a day of #protests and #strikes outside of parliament. #Police fired tear #gas and used water cannons at protesters.

A spokesman for President #GotabayaRajapaksa said he invoked the state of emergency to "ensure #public order" - measures that have done little if not worsen an already #exhausted population.
Without #food, however, no #police can ensure public order, not even with #guns.