|
World Food
Scene
·
On March 6,
2008 Josette
Sheeran,
head of the
UN World
Food
Programme,
warned that
the rise in
basic food
costs could
continue
until 2010.
·
Josette
Sheeran
blamed
soaring
energy and
grain
prices, the
effects of
climate
change and
demand for
biofuels.
·
Miss Sheeran
has already
warned that
the WFP is
considering
plans to
ration food
aid due to a
shortage of
funds.
·
Some food
prices rose
40% last
year, and
the WFP
fears the
world's
poorest will
buy less
food, less
nutritious
food or be
forced to
rely on aid.
·
Miss Sheeran
said the
agency
needed an
extra $375m
(244m euros;
£187m) for
food
projects
this year
and $125m
(81m euros;
£93m) to
transport
it.
·
She said she
saw no quick
solution to
high food
and fuel
costs.
·
Miss Sheeran
said global
food
reserves
were at
their lowest
level in 30
years - with
enough to
cover the
need for
emergency
deliveries
for 53 days,
compared
with 169
days in
2007.
Biofuel
prices
·
Among the
contributing
factors to
high food
prices is
biofuel
production.
·
Miss Sheeran
says demand
for crops to
produce
biofuels is
increasing
prices for
food stuffs
such as palm
oil.
·
The WFP says
countries
where price
rises are
expected to
have a most
direct
impact
include
Zimbabwe,
Eritrea,
Haiti,
Djibouti,
the Gambia,
Tajikistan,
Togo, Chad,
Benin,
Burma,
Cameroon,
Niger,
Senegal,
Yemen and
Cuba.
·
Areas where
the WFP is
already
seeing an
impact
include:
Afghanistan:
2.5 million
people in
Afghanistan
cannot
afford the
price of
wheat, which
rose more
than 60% in
2007
Bangladesh:
The price of
rice has
risen 25% to
30% over the
last three
months. In
2007, the
price rose
about 70%.
El
Salvador:
Rural
communities
are buying
50% less
food than
they did 18
months ago
with the
same amount
of money.
This means
their
nutritional
intake, on
an already
poor diet,
is cut by
half.
Anger
over rising
food prices
have already
led to riots
in Burkina
Faso,
Cameroon,
Senegal and
Morocco. |
