Posted on 07/15/2007 3:08:14 PM PDT by rocksblues
Rising prices for food have led the United Nations programme fighting famine in Africa and other regions to warn that it can no longer afford to feed the 90m people it has helped for each of the past five years on its budget.
The World Food Programme feeds people in countries including Chad, Uganda and Ethiopia, but reaches a fraction of the 850m people it estimates suffers from hunger. It spent about $600m buying food in 2006. So far, the WFP has not cut its reach because of high commodities prices, but now says it could be forced to do so unless donor countries provide extra funds.
Josette Sheeran, WFP executive director, said in an interview with the Financial Times: “In a world where our contributions are holding fairly steady, this [cost increase] means we are able to reach far less people.”
She said policymakers were becoming more concerned about the impact of biofuel demand on food prices and how the world would continue to feed its expanding population.
The warning could re-ignite the debate on food versus fuel amid concerns biofuel production will sustain food inflation and hit the world’s poorest people.
The WFP said its purchasing costs had risen “almost 50 per cent in the last five years”. The UN organisation said the price it pays for maize had risen up to 120 per cent in the past sixth months in some countries.
Biofuel demand is soaking up grain production as is rising consumption in emerging countries for animal feed.
“We face the tightest agriculture markets in decades and, in same cases, on record,” Ms Sheeran said. Global wheat stocks have fallen to the lowest level in 25 years, according to the US Department of Agriculture.
Ms Sheeran added: “We are no longer in a surplus world.”
Truck the un.
Blame it all on ethanol.
Those sonofbeaches want to put the bite on us.
If they could only make us a global warming tax they'd be in hog heaven.
That’s why its a law and not a suggestion...
How many farmers does the government pay to NOT grow food? This is complete bullcrap.
Where did they dig up that word contribute I'd like to know.
The last leftist cry:
“Biofuels must replace evil oil! No blood for oil!”
The next leftist cry:
“Corporations profit while people starve! No food for fuel!”
Sam Kinison had it right, “MOVE TO WHERE THE FOOD IS!”
Kind of like that word ‘voluntary’ on your tax return?
You beat me to it! Sam was right though. I miss him.
The article didn’t mention how it was the USA’s fault...did I miss something?
Maybe they should use some of that Oil for Food swindle cash they have laying around.
We still have people going hungry in this country. Let’s worry about them first before we feed the rest of the turd world.
If we stopped being everyone’s big brother and enabler most of this earth would just shrivel up and die.
Oops, that's before they threw out the white people. Now they are starving.
Its the white peoples fault.
I don't buy that.
Every dollar they waste on ridiculous items such as global warming, could be used on feeding all these poor people. But the UN does not care about feeding the poor, they care about power.
“Hey! Don’t give him a sandwich yet, it will ruin the effect!”
“Stop sending them food, send them luggage instead.”
Ever been to Appalachia? Apparently not
The U.S. has a moral responsibility to feed the world and probably even a constitutional one as well. After all we use 99.64% of the world’s resources and add 99.99% of the pollution thereby contributing to global warming too.
OOPS, wrong board.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.