Food prices and food crises since 2020: evidence from Mali, northeast Nigeria, Sudan, and northern Uganda

Abstract

When world prices of maize and wheat doubled betweenearly 2020 and mid-2022, it was feared the increases wouldtransmit to markets in the Global South, threatening the foodsecurity of vulnerable people. We report studies conductedin Mali, northeast Nigeria, Sudan, and northern Uganda toexamine changes in the prices of cereals, their consequences,and public responses. From early 2020, the prices of staplesin the four countries rose strongly, doubling or more, andremained high up to the time of writing (mid-2025). Priceincreases resulted largely from domestic factors, above allfailed harvests and, in Mali and Sudan, conflict: world pricesplayed only a minor role. People on low incomes economisedon food, cut spending on health and education, and tried tocope by finding extra work, selling off assets, and borrowingmoney—but not always successfully. Public support has beenscant: most people have had to manage using the resourcesof family, neighbours, and local communities