how far is the us from food shortages or riots, page-11

Food costs rise, 100m at risk
From correspondents in Washington

April 14, 2008 06:27am

Article from: Agence France-Presse
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A DOUBLING of food prices over the past three years could push 100 million people in poorer developing countries further into poverty and governments must step in to tackle the issue, World Bank president Robert Zoellick said today.

"Based on a rough analysis, we estimate that a doubling of food prices over the last three years could potentially push 100 million people in low-income countries deeper into poverty," Mr Zoellick said at the end of the World Bank spring meeting here.

"This is not just a question about short-term needs, as important as those are. This is about ensuring that future generations don't pay a price, too," he said.

Calling on governments to begin tackling the issue, Mr Zoellick said: "We have to put our money where our mouth is now so that we can put food into hungry mouths. It's as stark as that."

On the eve of the meetings, Mr Zoellick had said the crisis could mean "seven lost years" in the fight against worldwide poverty.

The food crisis attracted increasing attention at this weekend's spring meetings here of the 185-nation World Bank and its twin institution, the International Monetary Fund, sparking loud warnings of dire consequences.

"Food prices, if they go on like they are doing today ... the consequences will be terrible," IMF managing director Dominque Strauss-Kahn said yesterday.

"As we know, learning from the past, those kind of questions sometimes end in war," Mr Straus-Kahn warned.

Overnight Mr Straus-Kahn reiterated that warning, stressing this "huge problem" which put at risk years of development gains needed to be dealt with seriously.

Prices of rice, wheat, corn, cooking oil, milk and other foodstuffs have all risen sharply in recent months, sparking violent protests in many countries, including Egypt, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Mauritania, Ethiopia, Madagascar, the Philippines and Indonesia.

A World Bank report last week said global wheat prices jumped 181 per cent over the 36 months to February, with overall food prices up 83 per cent.

Mr Zoellick's statement began with a reference to climate change, stressing the need to make talks inclusive if developing countries were going to be fully involved and treated fairly.

"The drive to address climate change won't work if it's seen as a rich man's club. It is very important to have developed and developing country ministers at the table so that the developing country voices can be heard," he said