It’s become increasingly clear that there is a growing problem of food shortages across the world. And climate change is in the frame again.
“Climate change will impose great stresses on the world’s ability to feed ever growing populations,” warns Kandeh Yumkella, director-general of the UN International Development Organisation (press release). “This challenge brings new threats to arable land areas, livestock rearing and fisheries through droughts, water shortages and pollution of land, air and sea.”
Adding to the problem of rising food prices are increased use of biofuels, higher consumption and increased transport costs.
Last month the FT revealed that the UN’s World Food Programme was begging for $500 million to deal with a ‘food crisis’ (pdf). Now we’ve got a full blown crisis, with problems in India and Bangladesh, riots over rice in Haiti and Africa, and Thai farmers guarding their rice paddys to prevent theft.
“Most of the stapes of people’s diet – wheat and rice – have risen more than 50 per cent in the last 12 months and they’ve risen even more steeply than that very recently,” says UN under-secretary general for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes (Australia’s ABC).
“What we fear is that if this is a long-term trend, then we really could see in the poorest, most vulnerable countries, in the poorest, most vulnerable sections of the population of those countries, real problems, which is a particular problem from a humanitarian point of view.”
“There is a risk that this unrest will spread in countries where 50 to 60 percent of income goes to food,” says Jacques Diouf, head of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (Washington Times).
Reuters though thinks the problems in Asia should ease as stocks increase and more rice is planted. “Rice output is set to rise this year as major producers plant additional crops, likely slowing or halting a rally that has caused prices to more than double since January,” it says.
On a similar, though lighter note, New Zealanders are focusing on a slightly different facet to the problem this week.
UPDATE
It seems Reuters’ prediction was right to some extent, the Wall Street Journal reports the Indonesian government’s claim that a good local harvest will mean it is unlikely to import rice.
At the same time though the World Bank has issued a plea for more money for the World Food Program. “We have to put our money where our mouth is now, so that we can put food into hungry mouths. It is as stark as that,” said World Bank president Robert Zoellick (various, eg The Age).
For an interestingly different take on the impact of price changes, have a look at this item from the Vietnam News Agency.
Image: Rice paddy (stock photo)