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World Bank says uncertainties remain for global food prices
Global food prices continued to decline for six consecutive months, but still remain very high and close to their historical peaks, the World Bank said on Wednesday.
In its quarterly Food Price Watch report, the World Bank said global food prices continued to fall between October 2012 and February 2013 on lower demand and expectations of better crop supply.
According to the report, international prices of wheat dropped by 11 percent, sugar by 10 percent and maize by 6 percent during the four-month period.
However, the Washington-based institution cautioned that the global food prices were only 9 percent below the all-time high in August 2012, adding that declined cereals stock and continued dry weather in Argentina, South Africa and Australia cast doubts over food supplies in the coming months.
"Oil prices have been on the rise for three consecutive months, making its highest level in February since April 2012," it noted.
The persistently high and volatile food prices not only influence conditions of hunger and under-nutrition, but also obesity which may increase in the context of high prices as people opt for cheaper, less nutritious food to feed their families, said the World Bank.
相关新闻：总部位于华盛顿的世界银行27日警告，尽管截至今年2月份全球食品价格连续第六个月回落，但是依旧接近历史高位，高食品价格的风险依然存在。
世行在当天发布的最新一期《食品价格观察》报告中说，自从去年8月全球食品价格创下历史高位以来，全球食品价格逐月回落，但当前的食品价格仅比去年8月的峰值低9%。
报告指出，阿根廷、南非等国的持续干旱给未来数月的全球粮食供应带来不确定性，全球石油价格连续三个月上涨，来自墨西哥、印度尼西亚、韩国等国家的强劲食品需求也在给全球食品市场带来压力。
世行副行长奥塔维亚诺·卡努托表示，面对食品价格高企和波动的挑战，发展中国家的一些贫困民众可能会选择高热量、低营养的廉价食品作为应对之策，由于全球半数以上的肥胖人口生活在印度、俄罗斯、中国、巴西、土耳其、美国等九个国家，高食品价格有可能会加剧全球肥胖人口过多的挑战。 |
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发表于 2016-7-11 09:57:19