本文是一篇国际贸易论文，本研究的目的是研究国际粮食成本如何影响津巴布韦的贫困和消费者福利。世界银行和津巴布韦国家统计局的数据用于评估国际粮食价格对该国关税、贫困和消费者福利的影响。
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. Background
There have been frequent fluctuations in global international food prices ever since the Agriculture and FOOD Organization began keeping track food price CPI. Even at their height between January 2020 and 2023, the pace of increase in global international food prices has apparently continued to climb Easterly, W., & Levine, R. (2003) (Leyaro et al. 2021). Prices began to decline as a result of the new circumstances, but they soon began to rise sharply in June 2020 and peaked in 2021. The Agriculture and Food Organization reports that the measure of food cost in the crisis of 2021 was significantly greater than the index that was recorded in 2019. According to Minot (2020), there exists a partial transmission of the global food price in sub-Saharan African domestic markets, specifically in Zimbabwe.Eichengreen, B., Aksoy, C. M., & Borstelmann, T. (2004).Prices in Zimbabwe have increased since the beginning of 2019. According to Andrea and Thadeus (2020), there was a 44% increase in the domestic costs of major food commodities such as maize, fresh vegetables (covho), and dried vegetables (covho) between 2019 and 2023. The National Bureau of Statistics report (2020) states that between October 2008 and the end of 2020, international food prices grew by 22%. Zimbabwe headline inflation rate has significantly increased due to the substantial rises in food and fuel prices that occurred on a worldwide scale in 2008 and again in 2022. Year-over-year inflation for the food and energy sub-indices peaked in December 2022 at 25.6% and 41.0%, respectively (NBS, 2022).Due to the large percentage of retail prices that are made up of transportation and distribution costs, it was anticipated that these global issues would have a considerable impact on overall inflation, both directly and indirectly in the context of energy costs (Adam et al. 2020).
1.2 Problem statement
The impact of international food prices on trade, poverty, and consumer welfare in Zimbabwe is a significant issue that requires careful examination and analysis. Rising food prices in the global market can have a direct impact on the prices of food products in Zimbabwe, which in turn affects the overall welfare of consumers and the level of poverty in the country. This paper aims to explore the relationship between international food prices and their impact on trade, poverty, and consumer welfare in Zimbabwe in 2023.Numerous scholars have highlighted the importance of understanding the impact of international food prices on trade, poverty, and consumer welfare in developing countries like Zimbabwe. According to a study by Aksoy and Isik-Dikmelik (2008), rising international food prices can lead to an increase in the cost of imported food products, which can reduce the purchasing power of consumers in developing countries. This can exacerbate poverty levels and negatively impact consumer welfare, especially for vulnerable populations who rely heavily on imported food products.
Furthermore, the impact of international food prices on trade in Zimbabwe cannot be overlooked. As highlighted by Kehoe, T. J., & Ruhl, K. J. (2010) Shingiro (2016), fluctuations in international food prices can affect the competitiveness of Zimbabwean food exports in the global market. Higher international food prices can increase the cost of production for local farmers and agribusinesses, making it more difficult for them to compete with foreign producers. This can lead to a decline in exports and a decrease in foreign exchange earnings, further impacting the country economy and trade balance.
2.Literature Review
2.1The Program for Economic Reform
2.1.1 Reforms to Trade and Agricultural Policies
The Economic Reform Programme in Zimbabwe has been instrumental in shaping agricultural and trade policies in recent years. The objectives of these reforms have bee
