What is causing the global food price spike and what should be done about it?

Sunday 25th May, 06:57 AM JST

Latest 15 of 43 Total Comments Show All

nisegaijin at 01:40 PM JST - 26th May

tkoind2, while you pinpointed the causes correctly your views on trying to control markets are disturbing.

How about stop government intervention, or only have governments ban biofuel cuz they use all global food supply.

Africa? you kidding, right? for decades that was a pithole that used up more money and resources than it produced. Governments should leave that place alone and rely on their own agricultural potential. When Africa goes through industrial revolution and sorts itself out and becomes ready to trade with the rest of the world, then we should be dealing with them. Forcing our standards, no matter how good our motives are, is not going to work. All we throw in there goes to waste!
weedkila at 03:04 PM JST - 26th May

Yes, mainly in Europe the media are mainly to blame about the bad image of GMO's. The media there seem to take an unquestioning stance on claims by NGO's.

With respect, I'd say it is the US media which is not giving American citizens the whole story so that is why there is probably more acceptance of GMOs than in Europe. Consumers in Japan, for example, are quite wary of GMOs as more info seems to filter through.
2020hindsight at 05:55 PM JST - 26th May

weedkila

Yes, mainly in Europe the media are mainly to blame about the bad image of GMO's. The media there seem to take an unquestioning stance on claims by NGO's.

With respect, I'd say it is the US media which is not giving American citizens the whole story so that is why there is probably more acceptance of GMOs than in Europe. Consumers in Japan, for example, are quite wary of GMOs as more info seems to filter through.

Actually, I think it is the opposite and scare stories rather than fact are causing beople to be wary of GMO's. The US have been eating GM maize and soya beans for years without incident.

It's a great shame because the potential benefits to the world's poor are immense.
cleo at 06:51 PM JST - 26th May

The US have been eating GM maize and soya beans for years without incident.

For years, yes; but without incident? I'm not so sure. A lot of the health problems Americans are having to deal with today are directly linked to the foods they eat. I don't think anyone could seriously put the average American up as an example of 'how we should all be eating'; and the average poor American has many more nutrition-related health problems than his wealthier fellow countryman. How much of that is simply the result of bad food choices and how much is directly related to GMOs cannot be gauged in an environment where the immediate response to any query into the safety of any particular foodstuff, whether it be untested beef, GMOs or ubiquitous food additives, is for those in charge of food safety to stick their fingers in their ears and whistle loudly until the questions go away.

Sorry, but the 'Americans have been eating it for years without incident' argument simply doesn't ring true. The world's poor have enough problems as it is already, without having to deal with ADHD, Alzheimer's, obesity, heart disease and diabetes as well.
weedkila at 06:57 PM JST - 26th May

Hindsight: Well, you have a good point about scare-mongering. Unfortunately, the image of GMOs is not helped when these huge companies destroy the livelihoods of others and will do just about anything for a buck. I guess if money was not the priority (as it usually is), and things were more open then people might see GM crops in a more reasonable light.

ONe thing that is a concern though, is the patenting of GM seeds. As Kissinger said back in the '70s "When you control oil you control nations, and when you control food you control the people.' Kissinger is not someone to be taken lightly.
Badsey at 08:17 PM JST - 26th May

eat less:
jimpeel at 11:56 PM JST - 26th May

The answer to the first part of the question is: Ethanol and other biofuels. The UN recently declared biofuels to be a "crime against humanity".

The answer to the second part of the question is: Stop turning foodstocks into fuel to run our vehicles.
Blue_Tiger at 05:19 AM JST - 27th May

The use of food staples as a means of creating bio-fuels. The solution is to either find abetter, more suitable means of creating bio-fuels, or look to something other, such as hydrogen cell technology...
presto345 at 04:40 PM JST - 28th May

Energy prices spiraling out of control due to futures trading and market speculation. Cure: Someone already mentioned it: Careful regulation of commodity markets.
Zaphod at 07:22 PM JST - 28th May

High oil prices + divertion of foodstuff for "biofuel" + market worries about future oil supplies (Iran, Hormuz straights etc).

This is hardly rocket science. Expect this trend to continue. The age of endless supply of cheap oil is over.
fingerless at 07:50 PM JST - 28th May

George Bush is the single most significant cause in crippling the world economy. Billions of Americans tax payers money are funneled to the American Army, who are being misapplied to achieve unattainable badly thought out goals. Because this money doesn't go into the economy, growth slows down, inflation takes hold and prices start to rise.
Zaphod at 01:28 PM JST - 30th May

fingerless:

George Bush does not run the world economy. The oil market and its result on food prices are global.
vultor at 05:44 AM JST - 31st May

Especulation by producers on sources for bioethanol and other clean fuels and incresed spending from emerging economies like China and India.
rosemarief at 06:48 AM JST - 31st May

People across the world must work together. Practice birth control, eat smaller portions, eat cheaper kinds of food that are not processed, like Quaker Oats, bulk beans. If you have any extra land space, raise productive plants. Eat locally grown produce if possible. Man should control his destiny, not be a slaved to it.
rajakumar at 01:23 PM JST - 1st June

Eat less foods that have high price.

Eat more food that have lower price or stable price. Don't eat more than necessary, you will get sick sooner.

This will stabilise food price and push demand down. When demand drops, food price will stabilise.

People want to get rich, why does coffee costs 30 times the price in other countries, because they can pay for it and there is demand.

Nations must work together to export/import the cheaper food products.

World nations must fix up all these greedy food/oil business people, by going all out to support alternative cheaper food/cheaper energy.

People must walk more, it saves energy costs and helps improve our body life span.

Sitting for hours in air conditioned cars is not good for body life span.

We must save money that we use, for those greedy oil business nutjobs, so that we can use it ,to send the nut jobs into poverty future ,for their greed.