Global food crisis looms as climate change and fuel shortages bite

Historically, famines have been related more to war and to political instability than to any real shortage of food producing capacity. This may be changing, however, as the global agricultural system reels under the impacts of global warming, peak oil and a growing human population.

It appears that agribusiness will allow Third World populations to be driven into starvation by promoting export agriculture, regardless of whether it’s for biofuel production, animal feed or for food for the lucrative European and Japanese markets. As this article shows, a variety of factors are coming together to put serious stress on the ability of human populations to feed themselves.

Empty shelves in Caracas. Food riots in West Bengal and Mexico. Warnings of hunger in Jamaica, Nepal, the Philippines and sub-Saharan Africa. Soaring prices for basic foods are beginning to lead to political instability, with governments being forced to step in to artificially control the cost of bread, maize, rice and dairy products.

Record world prices for most staple foods have led to 18% food price inflation in China, 13% in Indonesia and Pakistan, and 10% or more in Latin America, Russia and India, according to the UN Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO). Wheat has doubled in price, maize is nearly 50% higher than a year ago and rice is 20% more expensive, says the UN. Next week the FAO is expected to say that global food reserves are at their lowest in 25 years and that prices will remain high for years.

Last week the Kremlin forced Russian companies to freeze the price of milk, bread and other foods until January 31, for fear of a public backlash with a parliamentary election looming. “The price of goods has risen sharply and that has hit the poor particularly hard,” said Oleg Savelyev, of the Levada Centre polling institute.

Posted by neurolingo

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