December 2024 Basic Needs & Nutrition Basket Statement: Addressing Escalating Food Prices - A Call for Medium-Term Sustainable Solutions

The Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection (JCTR) highlights the rising cost of living in Lusaka, as reflected in the December 2024 Basic Needs and Nutrition Basket (BNNB), which increased to ZMW 10,833.47, up by ZMW 440.31 from November. Key contributors include price hikes in essential food items such as vegetables, kapenta, and mealie meal, alongside rising costs for non-food essentials like toilet paper and sanitary towels. These increases, driven by adverse weather conditions and high production costs, disproportionately affect low-income households, exacerbating challenges in accessing adequate nutrition. JCTR calls for medium-term solutions, including strengthening food security through irrigation projects, reallocating community development funds to agricultural infrastructure, and expanding social protection programmes such as targeted subsidies and cash transfers. These interventions aim to stabilise food prices, address climate-related impacts, and provide relief to vulnerable households, ensuring a sustainable approach to mitigating the rising cost of living.