UNFPA Technical Briefing: Urbanization and food prices

Urbanization is affecting people’s vulnerability to rising food prices, but is not driving these prices upwards. Having a larger share of a population living in urban settlements does not, as sometimes claimed, cause a significant loss of arable land. Nor does it, in itself, increase the demand for food. But urbanization is increasing the share of vulnerable people living in urban areas. Urban vulnerability to increasing food prices differs from rural vulnerability, and demands different policy responses.During price spikes, the most vulnerable urban groups need better access to food.They also need more secure livelihoods and higher incomes to cope with both food price spikes and longer term price increases.