Global food imports continue to rise in 2023

FAO, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, has published the latest edition of 'Food Outlook', the biannual publication that provides updated forecasts of production, trade, utilization and stocks of the main food commodities.

 

These estimates indicate that world food imports in 2023 should reach 2,000 billion USD (2 trillion USD). This represents a variation of +1.8% and +35.3 billion USD compared to 2022.

 

Fruits and vegetables (23.6 billion USD), beverages (11.2 billion USD) and sugar (9.8 billion USD) have led to an increase in the price effect, which has been partially offset by a decrease in the price effect for vegetable oils, oilseeds and cereals.

 

The majority of purchases came from high-income countries (62%) and upper-middle-income countries (25%). Purchases from lower-middle-income countries (-3.2%) and low-income countries (-11%) are expected to decline.

 

However, this growth forecast for 2023 represents a deceleration compared to the +11% increase recorded in 2022 and the +18% increase recorded in 2021.