Environment

UN warns about higher food costs

by Sanjay Jha | May 29, 2008 at 04:26 am

460 views | 0 Recommendations | 9 comments

Soaring food prices are here to stay for a long time and UN's Food & Agriculture Organisation( FAO) have warned that bad weather could increase the problem.

What can be done to curb rising food costs? Vote here.

Higher food prices may be here to stay as demand from developing countries and production costs rise, says the UN's Food & Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

It warned that the current spike in global food prices was higher than previous records, partly because bad weather had ruined crops.

Although high prices will ease off, other factors, such as rising biofuel demand, will keep future costs high.

The FAO said speculators were also to blame for volatile commodity markets.

Soaring bills

The FAO's annual Outlook report predicted beef and pork prices might be 20% higher by 2017, wheat could be up to 60% more expensive and the cost of vegetable oils might rise by 80%.

World prices for wheat, maize and oilseed crops doubled between 2005 and 2007, and while the FAO expects these prices to fall, the decline may be slower than after previous spikes.

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Chris Devers

at 10:44 on May 29th, 2008

http://chrisdevers.vox.com/library/post/the-food-price-surge-hits-home.html

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cdevers/2486310011/

Chris Devers has contributed a photo to this story.

SOLARLIFE

at 13:28 on May 29th, 2008

Megan VanGroll - Artist's Photo, amazing context, you are a great artist, with feeling for dynamic "mise en scene".

stevacek

at 13:32 on May 29th, 2008

Photo taken in the Czech Republic

stevacek has contributed a photo to this story.

Mouses_Motor

at 13:43 on May 29th, 2008

Maize field on the Kañari (a.k.a. Cañari) indigenous community's property about 30 minutes drive from Cuenca, Ecuador.

Mouses_Motor has contributed a photo to this story.

etienne_b

at 14:48 on May 29th, 2008

Photograph of commercial maize fields approximately 30km outside Ventersdorp, South Africa. Recent fuel price increases have made the production of crops for bio-fuels viable in South Africa. This puts further price pressure on food stuffs such as beef, dairy and bread.

etienne_b has contributed a photo to this story.

antoblu

at 16:42 on May 29th, 2008

Fields of wheat like fields "of gold"? The wheat is an old symbol of traditional agriculture, basement of food, it is important to preserve it from financial speculations. I was born and grow up near this fields, in a small village in Italy, here the traditional agriculture is still a life style.

antoblu has contributed a photo to this story.

Jogi From Tilla Jogian

at 07:10 on May 30th, 2008

It seems that Food crises will be fatal after fuel crises.

Jogi From Tilla Jogian has contributed a photo to this story.

Big Grey Mare

at 17:46 on May 30th, 2008

It seems very apparent to me that the world is entering into a time of great tribulation, and that our lives are going to change dramatically in the not to distant future. My heart goes out to those who are already suffering the effects of these shortages, knowing that we may all be joining in that suffering very soon.