High Demand for Food Hurts Those In Need

Food prices have risen dramatically during the past year forcing many countries to implement food rationing, price controls, and export bans. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization warned that lower income countries, reliant on food aid, will face severe cutbacks in staple items. Supply shortages are partially a result of dramatic increase in demand from countries like Brazil, Russia, India, and China.

Snapshot asks, what can be done to prevent rising demand for food in middle income countries from constraining supply to low income countries?

BBC – UN warns over food aid rationing
OECD – Government support to farmers falls slightly amid higher world food prices
JPMorgan – Food prices reinforce squeeze from energy
Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN – Food Outlook November 2007
Financial Times – Why are food prices rising? VIDEO