We are about to see food prices hit levels unprecedented in modern times.
The Independent reports that the Food and Agriculture Organisation, an agency of the United Nations, is warning that climate change, speculation, competing uses such as biofuels and soaring demand from emerging markets in East Asia will push global food prices sharply higher next year.
In its latest Food Outlook report, the FAO is warning that prices could rise to 2008 levels, which sparked big food riots around the world, and beyond.
It says the big problem now is the increasing use of crops for biofuels. Climate change is making it worse. "Adverse weather effects are undoubtedly a primary driver of wheat production shortfalls and, with climate change, may increasingly be so,'' the FAO says.
If that happens, we can expect global inflation to soar and riots breaking out in Third World countries. There will be no global economic recovery.
So what can be done? I canvass some possible strategies in my column here. It will mean we will have to develop systems that better manage water, land, nutrients and other inputs. Green cities that grow food will need to be established and the real costs of food to the environment and society will have to be passed on consumers.
All of these will require a massive overhaul of markets, town planning laws and agriculture systems. Politicians will have to make some hard and unpopular decisions. But the alternative, a global famine, is too horrible to contemplate
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