São Paulo – Morocco is hosting the conference Food Price Volatility: Causes and Challenges, to be held by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on the 25th and 26th this month in the capital Rabat.<\/p>\n
The conference will include lectures, political panels and academic sessions. The event will also tackle issues such as macroeconomic policies for fighting food price hikes. <\/p>\n
“The conference will enhance our understanding of the drivers of food prices and thus help devise policies to improve food security and keep inflation in check,” said the IMF deputy managing director Min Zhu in a communiqué. <\/p>\n
“This is of great importance to many, indeed all, of our member countries. The IMF intends to play its role in supporting other agencies and the international community in ensuring food security and preserving the gains of a low-inflation environment,” he said.<\/p>\n
Apart from the Fund, the event is organized by the OCP Policy Center and by the Center for Technology and Economic Development of the University of New York.<\/p>\n
According to the IMF communiqué, the OCP Policy Center is looking to broaden its partnership with the Fund’s research department to gain a better understanding of how international events affect Morocco and Africa. <\/p>\n
“Many central banks have become better at dealing with the effects of supply shocks and keeping inflation expectations anchored,” said IMF chief economist Olivier Blanchard. “The sharing of experiences among policymakers on what has worked—and what has not—will be a very useful outcome from this conference,” he said.<\/p>\n
“the IMF assigns great importance to its engagement with the Middle East and North Africa region. The deliberations at this conference will help hone our policy advice as the region strives to achieve socially inclusive growth,” said the Fund’s deputy managing director Nemat Shafik, according to the communiqué. <\/p>\n
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum<\/strong><\/p>\n