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Latin America and the Caribbean

Latin America and the Caribbean
Key Message Update
August 2023
High prices remain the key driver of food insecurity in the LAC region. Irregular climate conditions in Central America and violence in Haiti also contribute to restricting food consumption.
  • In Haiti, spring harvests are underway, but due to prolonged atypical drought, flooding in June, , and insecurity, they resulted in yields below the five-year average. Poor households in most of the country, whose food security has not improved due to limited job opportunities and high staple food prices, will remain in Crisis (IPC Phase 3) acute food insecurity. 

  • Although gang violence decreased slightly in June compared to May, it remains high compared to the same period of the previous year. Insecurity is mainly concentrated in Port-au-Prince, Nord-Ouest, and Artibonite and continues to have direct consequences on the normal functioning of markets, economy, and transportation.  Since mid-April, the HTG continued to appreciate against the USD. However, in a yearly comparison from July 2022 to July 2023, the HTG, compared to the USD, lost its value by more than 20 percent, which continues to contribute to the deterioration of the purchasing power of poor households compared to last year. Thus, compared to the previous months, the fall in the price of imported, local food and fuel largely did not change access to markets for the poorest households.

  • In Central America, until September, the poorest households in the Dry Corridor of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras will face Crisis outcomes (IPC Phase 3) as a consequence of the seasonal deterioration of food security (lack of food reserves, high market dependence, and low season of labor demand), and previous years’ shocks. These households will apply unsustainable coping strategies and struggle to close their food consumption gaps. In the last quarter of the year, the proportion of households in Crisis (IPC Phase 3) will decrease, driven by high labor demand in agricultural activities such as coffee and the primera harvest. The rest of the region's poor urban and rural households, who face limitations in their purchasing power due to high prices, will continue to face Stressed (IPC Phase 2) outcomes until January 2024.

  • A reduction in the production of subsistence crops is expected due to one month delay in the start of primera season and anomalies in the rainfall between June and July. Given the continuity of the El Niño phenomenon, the accumulated rainfall will be below average and high temperatures will persist during the rest of the primera cycle and the beginning of the postrera, which will cause a reduction of yields of subsistence farmers. However, a moderate impact on national production is expected due to investment and irrigation capacities. Coffee production will also be affected by climate anomalies, reducing the demand for labor. Poor households' purchasing power remains limited due to the persistence of high prices for basic food products and high inflation. 

  • In Venezuela, the limitations on households' financial access to food continue, resulting in Stressed (IPC Phase 2) food security outcomes. However, many poor households in peri-urban areas especially in Zulia and Caracas, earn their income in local currency, and lack access to social benefits or remittances are likely facing food consumption gaps indicative of Crisis (IPC Phase 3). Between October and January, an improvement in the level of acute food insecurity is expected due to an improvement in economic activity with the distribution of double salaries in public and private sectors. These factors indirectly impact poor households working in the informal sector. Therefore, the number of households in Crisis (IPC Phase 3) will decline, but large populations will remain Stressed (IPC Phase 2).

  • The VED lost 6.7 percent of its value between May and June due to reduced USD supply in the foreign exchange market. The recent expansion of public spending allocated funds to cover the increased benefits on Cesta Ticket, the Bono Contra la Guerra Económica, and the Unidad Tributaria (UT), which is used to calculate utility rates and taxes. These additional public expenditures and the depreciation of the local currency contributed to an increase in inflation, which continues to limit the purchasing power of the poorest households. On the other hand, households earning and purchasing in USD face lower inflation levels and have more stable purchasing power. Food prices in VED and USD remain above the five-year average, with USD prices affected by high global food prices and rising fuel and transportation costs. From May to June, prices in VED and USD were stable; meanwhile, food prices remained above 2022. Markets were well supplied with imported and locally produced food.

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Food Security Classification Data View all Latin America and the Caribbean classification data
Latin America and Caribbean Acute Food Insecurity Classification (August 2023 - January 2024)

Forward-looking analysis representing the most likely food security outcomes for the near term (August 2023 - September 2023) and medium term (October 2023 - January 2024) periods.

Latin America and Caribbean Acute Food Insecurity Classification Shapefile August 2023 (.zip) (ZIP) Latin America and Caribbean Acute Food Insecurity Classification August 2023 (.geojson) (GeoJSON) Near Term Projection: August 2023 - September 2023 (.png) (PNG) Medium Term Projection: October 2023 - January 2024 (.png) (PNG) Near Term Projection: August 2023 - September 2023 (.kml) (KML) Medium Term Projection: October 2023 - January 2024 (.kml) (KML)
Latin America and Caribbean Acute Food Insecurity Classification (July 2023 - January 2024)

Forward-looking analysis representing the most likely food security outcomes for the near term (July 2023 - September 2023) and medium term (October 2023 - January 2024) periods.

Latin America and Caribbean Acute Food Insecurity Classification Shapefile July 2023 (.zip) (ZIP) Latin America and Caribbean Acute Food Insecurity Classification July 2023 (.geojson) (GeoJSON) Near Term Projection: July 2023 - September 2023 (.png) (PNG) Medium Term Projection: October 2023 - January 2024 (.png) (PNG) Near Term Projection: July 2023 - September 2023 (.kml) (KML) Medium Term Projection: October 2023 - January 2024 (.kml) (KML)
Latin American and the Caribbean Acute Food Insecurity Classification (May 2021 - September 2021)
Forward-looking analysis representing the most likely food security outcomes for the near term (May 2021) and medium term (June 2021 - September 2021) periods.
Latin American and the Caribbean Acute Food Insecurity Classification Shapefile May 2021 (.zip) (ZIP) Latin American and the Caribbean Acute Food Insecurity Classification May 2021 (.geojson) (GeoJSON) Near Term Projection: May 2021 (.png) (PNG) Medium Term Projection: June 2021 - September 2021 (.png) (PNG) Near Term Projection: May 2021 (.kml) (KML) Medium Term Projection: June 2021 - September 2021 (.kml) (KML)
Latest Analysis Latest Analysis
View All Latin America and Caribbean Analysis
Food Security
Key Message Update High prices driving food insecurity across the region, while erratic rainfall and localized delays are impacting ongoing cropping seasons in Central America and Haiti Latin America and the Caribbean June 2023
Food Security Outlook Irregular weather disrupts the harvest in Central America, while Haiti continues to face gang violence that drives Emergency (IPC Phase 4) food security outcomes. In Venezuela, low incomes continue to limit access to food. Latin America and the Caribbean June 2023 - January 2024
Key Message Update Inflation and macroeconomic conditions drive food insecurity across the region, with erratic rainfall and drought conditions also increasing needs in Central America and the Caribbean Latin America and the Caribbean May 2023
Agroclimatology
Monitoreo Estacional Altas temperaturas y pocos días con lluvia afectan cultivos en Centroamérica América Latina y el Caribe June 1, 2023
Monitoreo Estacional Persiste el riesgo en cultivos por pronóstico de lluvias irregulares en Latinoamérica y el Caribe América Latina y el Caribe May 1, 2023
Monitoreo Estacional Condiciones desfavorables para la agricultura persisten en Latinoamérica y el Caribe América Latina y el Caribe April 1, 2023
Markets & Trade
Price Bulletin Central America Price Bulletin Latin America and the Caribbean September 2023
Boletín de precios América Central y el Caribe Boletín de Precios América Latina y el Caribe September 2023
Price Bulletin Central America Price Bulletin Latin America and the Caribbean August 2023
Alerts / Special Reports
No reports available.
Food Security
Key Message Update High prices driving food insecurity across the region, while erratic rainfall and localized delays are impacting ongoing cropping seasons in Central America and Haiti Latin America and the Caribbean June 2023
Food Security Outlook Irregular weather disrupts the harvest in Central America, while Haiti continues to face gang violence that drives Emergency (IPC Phase 4) food security outcomes. In Venezuela, low incomes continue to limit access to food. Latin America and the Caribbean June 2023 - January 2024
Key Message Update Inflation and macroeconomic conditions drive food insecurity across the region, with erratic rainfall and drought conditions also increasing needs in Central America and the Caribbean Latin America and the Caribbean May 2023
Agroclimatology
Monitoreo Estacional Altas temperaturas y pocos días con lluvia afectan cultivos en Centroamérica América Latina y el Caribe June 1, 2023
Monitoreo Estacional Persiste el riesgo en cultivos por pronóstico de lluvias irregulares en Latinoamérica y el Caribe América Latina y el Caribe May 1, 2023
Monitoreo Estacional Condiciones desfavorables para la agricultura persisten en Latinoamérica y el Caribe América Latina y el Caribe April 1, 2023
Markets & Trade
Price Bulletin Central America Price Bulletin Latin America and the Caribbean September 2023
Boletín de precios América Central y el Caribe Boletín de Precios América Latina y el Caribe September 2023
Price Bulletin Central America Price Bulletin Latin America and the Caribbean August 2023
Alerts / Special Reports
No reports available.
Food Security Outlook Briefing Food Security Outlook Briefing
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(February - September 2023)

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Production & Trade Flow Maps
FEWS NET captures the market networks for a product in a given country or region, including their catchments and trade flow patterns.
Maize, Segunda Season Maize, Primera Season Beans, Primera Season Beans, Segunda Season Beans, Apante Season Beans, Apante Season
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USGS-provided data and imagery supports FEWS NET's monitoring efforts of weather and climate throughout the world.

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