Short-Term Crises, Long-Term Hope
Posted on April 11, 2008 by Meg Kowalik
Photo: Karl Grobl for NetAid
Rising global food prices pose a very real threat to political stability and individual well-being in many developing countries. Recent unrest in Haiti and Egypt indicate an increasingly widespread trend — in fact, the World Bank has identified 33 countries at risk of public disorder.
But what should be done? The Times of London argues that investing in agricultural infrastructure and allowing producers free access to world markets — by both developed as well as developing countries — is the only real solution.
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Biofuel: a crime against humanity?
Six months ago Jean Ziegler, the UN's Special Rapporteur for Food Rights, described biofuel production as "a crime against humanity."
Any thoughts on this rather bold statement?
BIOFUEL.
Production of biofuels using staple foods should be banned because clearly as the price of fuel increases, the price of biofuels will followsuit.
Producers will prefer supplying the food to the more lucrative fuel industry - given the inelastic demand of these foods - creating great scarcity of food that will result in prices that are unaffordable to many especially the poor. If this is not arrested soon the globe will experience unprecedented levels of hunger and starvation.
Here governments have to intervene for the market forces will favour the profit maximising producers.
D. M. Gumede.
Biofuels Not the Enemy?
Check out the editorial in today's New York Times arguing that we shouldn't be blaming biofuels for the current high food prices.
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