Haitian lawmakers on Saturday ousted Prime Minister Jacques Edouard Alexis amid growing unrest over food prices in a nation marked by chronic hunger. ...
In the Philippines, retail rice prices have escalated 20 percent to 30 percent. ...
In Bangladesh, the price of rice has jumped by more than 30 percent since a cyclone hit the country last year and destroyed some 3 million tons of food crops. ...
It was against this backdrop that Dominique Strauss-Kahn, head of the International Monetary Fund, and Robert Zoellick, World Bank president, over the weekend issued back-to-back warnings of dire consequences from high food prices, especially in developing countries. ...
Globally, food prices have shot up 40 percent since the middle of last year. The U.N.'s World Food Program says it will fall about $500 million short of what is needed to feed 89 million people this year.
In assessing blame, it has become easy to point the finger at policies encouraging development of biofuels, which have put a demand on crops such as corn but also caused farmers to abandon less profitable food crops in favor of government-subsidized biofuels.
While that may contribute to the problem, long-term drought, natural disasters, civil wars, corruption and domestic polices also play a role.
Regardless of the causes, the crisis from rising prices and resulting hunger can destabilize governments as seen in Haiti. Mr. Zoellick called on governments ''to put our money where our mouth is'' and provide the World Food Program with the $500 million it needs by May 1. The United States and other nations must respond.
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