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Explainer: Why are food prices going up? Key questions answered

Elena Rodriguez cuts vegetables in the soup kitchen where she works in Pamplona Alta, in Lima, Peru. [Reuters]

Global food prices started to rise in mid-2020 when businesses shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, straining supply chains. Farmers dumped out milk and let fruits and vegetables rot due to a lack of available truckers to transport goods to supermarkets, where prices spiked as consumers stockpiled food. A shortage of migrant labor as lockdowns restricted movement impacted crops worldwide.

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