World Food Import Bill Set to Reach Record Amid Soaring Costs
- Import costs to rise 12% to $1.72 trillion this year: UN’s FAO
- Preliminary forecast confirms biggest hit to poorest nations
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The world’s food-import bill is expected to climb to an all-time high this year, with the soaring cost of staples hitting poor nations particularly hard and threatening to fuel global inflation.
The cost of importing food is set to rise by 12% to $1.72 trillion, led by increases in grains, vegetable oils and oilseeds, the United Nations’ Food & Agriculture Organization said in a report Thursday. Developing countries face a 21% jump in the total bill, compared with a 6% increase for the richest ones, according to a provisional forecast.