There are growing concerns that poorer people around the world may suffer as the price of foodstuffs continues to rise. As the world’s population continues to climb, the increasing number of mouths to feed is catching up with our ability to produce food. Some previously productive land has been over-farmed and is less productive or barren now. Poor harvests are more frequent due to the growing unpredictability of the world’s weather, possibly made worse by man-made climate change. Demand to use land for producing non-food crops for fuel is also having an effect. Whilst some commentators think that increased efficiency and more productive farming techniques in the less economically developed world will solve the problem, others predict that the problem will only get worse until the global human population is reduced.
You can investigate the issues further here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/world/2008/costoffood/default.stm
How can the food price crisis be solved?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7365798.stm
The UN has set up a task force to deal with the problem:
Filed under: Development
