Posted on 12/04/2007 12:04:53 AM PST by NormsRevenge
BEIJING - Food prices are set to rise around the globe after years of decline, with climate change making it harder for the world's poorest to get adequate food, according to a report released Tuesday.
Rising global temperatures as well as growing food consumption in rapidly developing countries such as China and India are pressuring the world food system, meaning that food prices will rise for the foreseeable future, according to the International Food Policy Research Institute.
Joachim von Braun, the director of the Washington-based research group, said food prices have been in a declining trend since scientists began developing high-yield plant varieties decades ago, "but the days of falling food prices may be over."
"The last time the world experienced such food price increases was in 1973 to 1974 ... but today the situation is completely different. For one, the climate risk and climate change situation has increased, the climate vulnerability has increased," von Braun told reporters in Beijing.
The institute said in a report that hunger and malnutrition could rise as poor agricultural communities most sensitive to the environment, such as in Africa, are hurt. Dependency on food imports will also increase as cereal yields decline in those countries.
The world's agricultural production is projected to decrease by 16 percent by 2020 due to global warming, the report said, with land used for certain crops shrinking. For example, it said land to grow wheat could almost disappear in Africa.
It said growing demand in rapidly developing countries such as China and India for processed food and expensive meat and dairy products is driving up prices for those goods, as well as for staple grains used to feed cattle.
In addition, switching to crops used for biofuels will also reduce the amount of available food and increase prices, it said.
Trade barriers for food should be eliminated, especially in developed nations, the report recommended, so small farmers can earn more money.
"A world facing increased food scarcity needs to trade more, not less," the report said.
The European Union and the United States have been reluctant to cut support for their own farmers and reduce trade barriers in world trade talks.
What a pile of horse hockey.
One might suspect we're only being given a small part of the overall story, but then one would probably be cynical in doing so...
And all these years I was taught that you plant and harvest when its warm. Does this mean many of the farmers will be swmimming instead of farming?
Part of the story IMO is the defeat of South African Ag.
Zimbawbwe used to produce for the southern hemisphere
but thanks to liberals that’s gone.
In any event it’s always... “Bush’s fault”.
I wonder if the “International Food Policy Research Institute” created that story from drug-induced imaginings.
Millions of acres are being converted to ethanol production.
Alot of the soybeans now go towards bio-diesel.
Whether that’s the right thing to do or not, it’s still true.
“Global warming” hoax BUMP
“growing food consumption in rapidly developing countries”
Those would be the countries who keep populating to “feed” their armies?
~~Anthropogenic Global Warming ™ ping~~
“In addition, switching to crops used for biofuels will also reduce the amount of available food and increase prices, it said.”
Nuff said. Case Closed.
Is there anything not attributed to global warming?
Pffft. This article is a lot of dog doo-doo. The prices of some of the food I buy has definitely increased; Not because of global warming, but because of global warming nuts. Higher food prices thy name is ethanol.
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