Fears of a global food crisis
By Greg Thompson
The World Bank has issued an urgent
call to rich nations to help stem rising
food prices, warning that social unrest
in poor countries is spreading and that 100
million people are at risk of being plunged
deeper into poverty.
Fears of a global hunger crisis rarely make headline news as they did with this warning: “We have to put our money where our mouth is now, so that we can put food into hungry mouths. It is as stark as that,” says World Bank president Robert Zoellick in calling for more contributions to the $US500 million World Food Program.
The appeal comes after a dramatic surge in world prices for staple foods. For example, the price of rice increased by 75% in just two months. As a result, food-related riots have broken out in Haiti, Indonesia, the Philippines and Cameroon.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has also put world food security firmly on the political agenda: “We had 10 major sets of food riots across the world. So if you want something which should be close to our global agenda, therefore our national agenda, (it is) how do we contribute to better food security around the world.”
While riots represent the most extreme
consequences of the threatening food crisis
around the world, the AngliCORD team
are aware that rising food crises are being
experienced at household level in many
places.
Life is becoming even more difficult for
those we support through our partners in the
developing world.
Valerie Browning warns of another emergency in the the Afar region of Ethiopia: “Thirst, increasingly widespread animal diseases and significant herd loss and pockets of infant and maternal malnutrition are being reported against the back-drop of a universal community fear of hunger due to the extreme hike of grain and general food prices”.
In Gaza, last week there was a bread strike,
the bakers protesting about shortages and
poor quality of flour and other ingredients.
Many items are in short supply or not
available – some appearing for limited
periods.
In South Africa, COSATU reports a similar
emerging pattern, “For more than a year now,
food prices have been rising more rapidly
than overall inflation, fuelling economic and
social inequality at a faster pace than the
State social security system has been set to
address. (Now), more than 15 million South
Africans are living in poverty; there is an
increase in chronic poverty and 6.5m are
negatively listed at the credit bureaus, with
more having their houses and motor vehicles
dispossessed.”
For each of the communities we support,
deep hardship is made significantly worse by
increasing costs of food, housing, and water.
Support for our partners is vital.
We must ensure those whose lives are most
vulnerable – such as nomadic pastoralists,
people caught in the conflict between Israel
and Palestine, and those living with or
affected by HIV/AIDS - are not forgotten.
Climate change efforts
drive up food prices
It is now becoming clear that food prices
in developing countries are rising because
farmers have shifted to growing cash crops
– such as corn – to produce biofuels such as
ethanol for rich countries, rather than grow
crops for household meals.
In an effort to reduce carbon emissions
and switch to biofuels, rich countries are
actually helping to drive up food prices by
encouraging the use of crops to produce
biofuels rather than to feed people. For
example, most of the rise in global corn
production from 2004 to 2007 went to
biofuels in the United States.
According to the 2008 World Development
Report, more than 240 kilograms of corn
— enough to feed one person for a year
— is required to produce 100 litres of
ethanol, enough to fill the tank of a sports
utility vehicle.
Rising prices hit Australians
At the same time, we know that similar
pressures are making life difficult for
many in Australia. As a consequence some,
including
AngliCORD’s supporters, have had
to reconsider the level of their response to
those overseas in need.
We understand that rising interest rates, fuel
and food prices are putting great pressure on
many Australians, but I urge you to continue
your support for extremely vulnerable
communities. It is understandable that your
support may be reduced, but please continue
to give as much as you are able.
For those able to do so, I urge you to respond
even more generously in support of those
most vulnerable, in solidarity with fellow
Australians who need to reduce their
commitment.