The latest dramatic increase in basic foodstuff prices since the beginning of the year threatens food security in many countries and has led to growing mass protests and violent clashes. The Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), Josette Sheeran, describes the causes of this "new face of hunger" as a "perfect storm" of mutually intensifying factors. The rising demand for animal feed and meat in India and China, high oil prices, increased conversion of arable land for biofuel production, and climate change are driving prices further up. Following a crisis meeting in February the WFP warned that it was barely in a position to contain the problem of global hunger. "We will have a significant financial gap if prices remain this high, and we will need an extra half billion dollars just to meet the existing need for food aid."

Jacques Diouf, Director General of FAO, had warned as early as October last year, "If prices continue to rise I would not be surprised if we began to see food riots." The risk of famine and social conflict has increased even more since then, with no signs of a trend reversal. In several countries demonstrations and strikes against high oil and food prices resulted in rioting that left many dead. In Yemen at least 12 persons were killed when protesting against the near doubling of food prices within a period of four months. Even in Cameroon at least 24 persons died during riots and over 1600 were arrested. Some governments have taken countermeasures and raised subsidies on foodstuffs, frozen prices of basic foods or imposed export bans. In the long term however, dwindling food stock reserves can be replenished and prices stabilized only through more efficient utilization of agricultural land, i.e. using it primarily for food production and only then for growing biofuels or animal feed for meat products. (Christiane Roettger)

Press reports on the issue are available at http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f40ad5ca-e975-11dc-8365-0000779fd2ac.html and http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/feb/26/food.unitednations

Further information can be accessed at the WFP website: http://www.wfp.org/german/?NodeID=43&k=346#IDAFBPKCIDAGBPKC
 

Published in: ECC-Newsletter, April 2008