UN warns of food price unrest

[demoleft]

Source: Financial Times

Developing countries face serious social unrest as they struggle to cope with soaring food prices, inflation that shows no signs of abating, the United Nations’ 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 for grains.

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Signs of the social unrest these prices could cause were seen in Mexico this year where 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.



Read more: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/1f0d4c6a-5ca1-11dc-9cc9-0000779fd2ac.html

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Well well well, Paris 1789...

[northernsoul]

1. This isn't just going to effect the developing world

I'm becoming convinced that the era of cheap food here in the U.S. is coming to a close as well.

[Lindsay]

2. No kidding - at the rate food prices are going up here,

I figure I may be living on Ramen noodles and cabbage by the end of winter.

[fasttense]

3. It is now cost effective to grow your own.

Before, I could get a can of green beans for less than what it cost me to grow them. A can of beans use to be about 50 cents. Now it is up to about a dollar. If I pay a dollar for about 15 plants, that is about 7 cents a seed. I can easily get a pint per plant. Then there is the cost of watering because of the drought. Then I need jars, lids and rings. I can reuse the jars about five times. I bought a canner that will last about five years. Then there is the cost of gas to heat up the the canner. I can still can a pint (not a 15oz can but a full 16oz pint) for about 55 cents. And my green beans don't have all that salt and artificial preservatives.