Rising cost of food to hit poor

The rising cost of food will affect the Congo.  Since they are a net importer of food.  The large urban areas will be particularly hard hit.  Smaller and regional cities may be less affected due to their proximity to rural farms.

The rural farming villages should be less affected negatively by the rising cost of food.  For example, most of the food consumed in our village of Bulape is locally grown or raised.  The only exception is for the visiting Americans who want rice instead of cassava.  Rural farmers should be able to make a better living due to the rising cost of food.

Fuel prices will have a small impact on villagers, too.  Unfortunately, everybody still uses wood for cooking.  And there is no motor-driven transportation in the villages.  However, the cost of fuel will keep more people in the dark.  Many generators will be silented by higher fuel cost. 

Rising cost of food to hit poor | theage.com.au.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said the international community should help poor countries whose trade deficits were increasing with the cost of imported commodities.

IMF researchers identified more than a dozen countries that were likely to need external support. They included Benin, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guinea, Liberia, Malawi and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Rising food prices were forecast to have a more harmful effect on standards of living in developing countries than rising fuel prices, the fund said. In large emerging countries, households typically spend more than a quarter of their income on food, while spending less than 10% on fuel. In many African countries, households devoted more than half their income to food, the fund said.

PRAYER:

Dear Heavenly Father, rising food prices will bring dead and suffering for many but let the rural farmers rise up to feed their country. AMEN.