Rich countries ‘failed to heed’ food crisis warnings
As nations meet to discuss spiraling food prices, the Food and Agriculture Organization says huge investment is needed to stem hunger and unrest.
New Scientist -03 June 2008
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (UNFAO) is warning that the soaring cost of food is threatening millions of people in developing countries.Food prices are now growing at the fastest rate since the 1980s, pushing inflation globally.
In the poorest countries, farmers have been hit hard by the droughts and floods linked to climate change, a rising oil price and a growing demand for biofuels. The UNFAO is calling for urgent action to provide small farmers in these countries with the means to help themselves.
DEVELOPING countries face serious social unrest as they struggle to cope with soaring food prices and inflation that shows no signs of abating, the UN’s top agriculture official has warned.
Jacques Diouf, director-general of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation, said surging prices for basic food imports such as wheat, corn and milk had the “potential for social tension, leading to social reactions and eventually even political problems”.
Mr Diouf said food prices would continue to increase because of a mix of strong demand from developing countries, a rising global population, more frequent floods and droughts caused by climate change and the biofuel industry’s appetite forgrains.
“That combination of factors would most likely lead to increases in food prices,” Mr Diouf said.
Signs of the social unrest these prices could cause were seen in Mexico this year when mass protests were triggered by rising corn prices.
Mr Diouf said food represented about 10-20 per cent of consumer spending in industrialised countries, but up to 65 per cent in developing nations.
“If we continue to see an increase in their (food) prices and in their import bill for food, there is a serious potential situation,” he said.
The Australian – September 08, 2007
