World Food Crisis: Its Consequences and Underlying Problems
This paper focus is over to the World Food Crisis. As US Subprime credit and mortgage problems crunch harder into global national economies, Inflation is on sky rocket high. There is a surge in commodity prices particularly for food staples thus pushing up consumer prices across the globe. (The pain of inflation, 2008 pg.1) This paper will focus on this very point ‘the soaring global food prices’, it’s affects around the world. The paper will also try to point out the underlying causes for the historical food shortage this world has seen in the 21st century.
It really is true. The world is seeing a chaotic food crisis this very moment. The United Nations World Food Program paints a clear picture of the disastrous situation. The program predicts more than 100 million people pushed back the poverty line this year alone, calling the international crisis a "silent tsunami which knows no borders sweeping the world. The WFP's concern is for the poor people around the world who are already living on 50 cents a day, who have nothing to fall back on. This is the current food situation. . Food scarcity does not seem to the only problem, but the consequences are quoted to be more disastrous with widespread misery and malnutrition for millions of people. (Buchanan, 2008 p.1)
Millions are reeling from sticker shock and governments are scrambling to staunch a fast-moving crisis before it spins out of control. (Walt, 2008, pg.1) From Mexico to Pakistan, protests have turned violent. Rioters tore through three cities in the West African nation of Burkina Faso in January this year, burning government buildings and looting stores. (Walt, 2008, pg.1) Days later, in Cameroon, taxi drivers' strike over fuel prices mutated into a massive protest about food prices, leaving around 20 people dead. And Indian protesters burned hundreds of food-ration stores in West Bengal last October 2007, accusing the owners of selling government-subsidized food on the lucrative black market.
It really is true. The world is seeing a chaotic food crisis this very moment. The United Nations World Food Program paints a clear picture of the disastrous situation. The program predicts more than 100 million people pushed back the poverty line this year alone, calling the international crisis a "silent tsunami which knows no borders sweeping the world. The WFP's concern is for the poor people around the world who are already living on 50 cents a day, who have nothing to fall back on. This is the current food situation. . Food scarcity does not seem to the only problem, but the consequences are quoted to be more disastrous with widespread misery and malnutrition for millions of people. (Buchanan, 2008 p.1)
Millions are reeling from sticker shock and governments are scrambling to staunch a fast-moving crisis before it spins out of control. (Walt, 2008, pg.1) From Mexico to Pakistan, protests have turned violent. Rioters tore through three cities in the West African nation of Burkina Faso in January this year, burning government buildings and looting stores. (Walt, 2008, pg.1) Days later, in Cameroon, taxi drivers' strike over fuel prices mutated into a massive protest about food prices, leaving around 20 people dead. And Indian protesters burned hundreds of food-ration stores in West Bengal last October 2007, accusing the owners of selling government-subsidized food on the lucrative black market.
References: 1. Robinson, S. (2008, 15 May). India to America: Eat Less, Fatties. The Time. Retrieved May 17, 2008, from http://www.time.com 2. Buchanan, E. (2008, April 22).Assessing the global food crisis. BBC News. Retrieved May 15, 2008, from http://news.bbc.co.uk 3. Jackson, D. (2008, May 19).Why the world can’t afford food and why higher prices are here to stay. The Time. Retrieved May 23, 2008, from http://www.time.com 4. The pain of inflation. (2008, 16 May). Economist Intelligence Unit Views Wire. The Economist. Retrieved May 19, 2008 from http://www.economist.com 5. Walt, V. (2008, February 27). The World 's Growing Food-Price Crisis. Retrieved June 24, 2008 from http://www.time.com