A new report published by the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems (IPES-Food) spotlights the need to cut reliance on volatile global markets and strengthen local food systems to stabilise prices.
The need to stem the rise in global food prices has been laid out in stark terms – they currently stand at 35% above 2019 levels following repeated shocks from war, energy and trade disruptions, as well as more volatile climatic conditions.
Investing in and solidifying self-reliance is vital, experts say; with countries that are highly reliant on food exports being the most vulnerable to shocks beyond their control.
IPES-Food underlines that these shocks are exacerbated by long supply chains controlled by a handful of countries and companies, with the global food import bill hitting a record £1.6 trillion in 2025.
This impact is felt disproportionately by low-income countries, which are the least able to afford it. Without a change in course, the report warns, food prices, hunger and corporate concentration are set to worsen.
“We’re entering a new geopolitics of food, where food prices are shaped by conflict, trade disruption and power play. Crisis after crisis exposes the risks of outsourcing food security to distant markets and fragile supply chains controlled by a handful of countries and companies,” said Jennifer Clapp, an IPES-Food expert.
“The way forward is resilient self-reliance – local food systems backed by fair trade. The tools to stabilise prices already exist, from food reserves to supply management, but governments are not using them at scale.”
Pointing to tangible solutions, experts say governments can strengthen their local supply chains and markets by supporting farmers, reducing reliance on volatile global supply chains, and maintaining fair, cooperative and diversified trade.
They add that prioritising public food reserves, supply management and market interventions has already helped countries including India and those across West Africa, as well as Canada and Norway, to stabilise prices and support local production.
IPES-Food expert Shalmali Guttal added: “For communities across the Global South, this is about whether people can afford to eat. When countries are forced to depend on imported food and farm inputs, every shock hits hardest at the local level – farmers, workers and low-income families are the ones who pay the price. This system is not only fragile, it is unjust.
“We need to rebuild food systems from the ground up, closer to home, with food sovereignty – stronger local production, fairer markets, targeted distribution systems and food subsidies, and the tools to protect people when shocks hit.”
