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marmar

(76,982 posts)
Tue Sep 4, 2012, 08:00 AM Sep 2012

Action needed to prevent food price catastrophe: UN


(Reuters) - World leaders must take swift, coordinated action to ensure that food price shocks do not turn into a catastrophe that could hurt tens of millions of people in coming months, the United Nations' food agencies said in a statement on Tuesday.

Global alarm over the potential for a food crisis of the kind seen in 2007/08 has escalated as drought in the U.S. Midwest has sent grain prices to record highs, fuelling a 6 percent surge in the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation's (FAO) July food price index.

FAO said in a joint statement with the World Food Programme (WFP) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) that swift international action could prevent a renewed food crisis.

It said leaders must tackle both the immediate issue of high food prices, as well as the long-term issue of how food is produced and consumed at a time of rising population, demand and climate change. ....................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/09/04/us-food-prices-idUSBRE8830A020120904



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Action needed to prevent food price catastrophe: UN (Original Post) marmar Sep 2012 OP
Du rec. Nt xchrom Sep 2012 #1
My first suggestion: stop speculation of food as commidities no_hypocrisy Sep 2012 #2
My first suggestion would be for the US to end corn ethanol subsidies and price supports on sugar Spider Jerusalem Sep 2012 #3

no_hypocrisy

(45,772 posts)
2. My first suggestion: stop speculation of food as commidities
Tue Sep 4, 2012, 08:37 AM
Sep 2012

Wheat, grain, corn, etc.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021264513

If you don't, next thing in the future will be the speculation of clean, fresh water.

 

Spider Jerusalem

(21,786 posts)
3. My first suggestion would be for the US to end corn ethanol subsidies and price supports on sugar
Tue Sep 4, 2012, 08:54 AM
Sep 2012

40% of the US corn crop goes to ethanol and the USDA maintains price supports on sugar at 18 cents per pound above the world market price, which is a subsidy to corn farmers for turning corn into high fructose corn syrup. In a world facing potential food shortages because of widespread crop failures and drought, both policies are frankly insane and far worse than any effects of commodity speculation.

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