Climate change and disease will spark new food crisis, says UN

Climate change and disease

will spark new food crisis, says UN

By Sean O’Grady, Economics Editor

Thursday, 18 November 2010

Price hikes of 41 per cent in wheat are foreseen by the FAO
“Climate change, speculation, competing uses such as biofuels and
soaring demand from emerging markets in East Asia are the factors
that will push global food prices sharply higher next year…”
A food crisis could overtake the world in 2011, according to the Food
and Agriculture Organisation, an agency of the United Nations.
Climate change, speculation, competing uses such as biofuels and
soaring demand from emerging markets in East Asia are the factors
that will push global food prices sharply higher next year, claims the FAO.
The FAO warns the world to “be prepared” for more price hikes and
volatility if production and stocks do not respond. Price hikes of
41 per cent in wheat, 47 per cent in maize and a third in sugar are
foreseen by the FAO. The last time that happened it sparked riots
from Mexico to Indonesia.
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