Links

AGRICULTURE: What is Really Causing 'Agflation'?

The old laws of the marketplace are no longer working. Food prices have been rising for six years because of surging demand, and increased production is not restoring the balance as it used to in the past. In fact, prices have been going up even faster over the last year (IPS, 25 April 2008).

http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=42134

(Added: Tue Apr 29 2008   Hits: 28)

As food prices rise, refugees in Jamaica look to their own back yard

This UNHCR article tells how African refugees are helping to ease the effects of the food crisis in Jamaica by planting and growing food in their community gardens.

http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/4873657b4.html

(Added: Wed Jul 09 2008   Hits: 23)

Contributing Factors and International Responses to the Global Food Crisis [video]

In this webcast, leading experts testify before the US House Financial Services Committee on the Global Food Crisis. (House Committee on Financial Services, May 14, 2008)

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/hearing/financialsvcs_dem/hr051408.shtml

(Added: Tue Jun 10 2008   Hits: 15)

Food Crisis May Get Worse Before it Gets Better

The spreading food crisis-triggered primarily by rising prices, declining outputs and growing scarcities worldwide -is threatening to impact heavily on the most vulnerable in society: women and children. (By Thalif Deen, IPS, april 29, 2008)

http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=42172

(Added: Mon May 05 2008   Hits: 23)

Food Price Crisis

As concerns grow over the emerging food crisis across the globe, the World Bank has decided to create this page to inform the general public about their coordinated efforts to combat this growing problem. (World Bank, 2008)

http://www.worldbank.org/html/extdr/foodprices/

(Added: Mon May 19 2008   Hits: 18)

From Food Rebellions to Food Sovereignty: Urgent call to fix a broken food system

The skyrocketing cost of food has resurrected the specter of the "food riot." (By Eric Holt-Giménez and Loren Peabody, May 16th, 2008)

http://www.foodfirst.org/en/node/2120

(Added: Tue Jun 10 2008   Hits: 17)

How to manufacture a global food crisis : lessons from the World Bank, IMF and WTO [pdf]

The author states that agriculture is in deep crisis, and the causes range from wars to bad governance, lack of productivity-enhancing agricultural technology, and the spread of HIV-AIDS. However, as in Mexico and the Philippines, a very important part of the explanation was the phasing out of government controls and support mechanisms under the structural adjustment programs to which most African countries were subjected as the price for getting IMF and World Bank assistance to service their external debt. (Walden Bello, May 2008)

http://www.dev-zone.org/downloads/HOW%20TO%20MANUFACTURE%20A%20GLOBAL%20FOOD%20CRISIS.pdf

(Added: Mon May 26 2008   Hits: 49)

Implications of higher global food prices for poverty in low-income countries

The recent large increases in food prices appear likely to raise overall poverty in low income countries substantially. (World Bank Research Working Paper, April 2008)

http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/IW3P/IB/2008/04/16/000158349_20080416103709/Rendered/PDF/wps4594.pdf

(Added: Tue Apr 29 2008   Hits: 28)

Multinationals Make Billions In Profit Out of Growing Global Food Crisis

Speculators are blamed for driving up price of basic foods as 100 million people face severe hunger. (by Geoffrey Lean, Common Dreams, May 4, 2008)

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/05/04/8710/

(Added: Mon May 05 2008   Hits: 34)

No More Fake Solutions to the World's Food Crisis

In response to the current food crisis, Grassroots International and the Oakland Institute are asking you to sign a petition demanding that the International Financial Institutions (World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and the World Trade Organization) not use the crisis to push through more failed free trade policies. (Grassroots International, June 2008)

http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5123/t/2270/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=60

(Added: Mon Jun 09 2008   Hits: 24)

Rising Food Prices: A global crisis [pdf]

This Briefing Paper examines the causes of rising food prices, expected trends, the likely impact, and possible policy responses (Steve Wiggins and Stephanie Levy, ODI Briefing Paper 37, April 2008).

http://www.odi.org.uk/publications/briefing/bp37-april08-rising-food-prices.pdf

(Added: Thu Apr 24 2008   Hits: 34)

Saving Water from Field to Fork: Curbing losses and wastage in the food chain

The ongoing food crisis, characterized by growing shortages and rising prices of staple commodities, has far reaching implications for the world's scarce water resources, says this study. The report claims that"More food is likely to come at a cost of more water use in agriculture," (Stockholm International Water Institute, International Water Management Institute and the Stockholm Environment Institute, May 2008).

http://www.siwi.org/documents/Resources/Policy_Briefs/Paper_13_Field_to_Fork.pdf

(Added: Tue May 27 2008   Hits: 26)

Soaring food prices - threat or opportunity? [pdf]

The author stresses that the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) can only be attained if we can boost agriculture in developing countries in a sustainable way. (by Jacques Diouf, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), May 2008)

http://www.dev-zone.org/downloads/Soaring%20prices.pdf

(Added: Mon May 05 2008   Hits: 22)

The Pleasures of the Flesh

If you care about hunger, eat less meat states George Monbiot in this article. Never mind the economic crisis. Focus for a moment on a more urgent threat: the great food recession which is sweeping the world faster than the credit crunch. (George Monbiot, April 2008)

http://www.monbiot.com/archives/2008/04/15/the-pleasures-of-the-flesh/

(Added: Mon May 12 2008   Hits: 27)

The Time is Now: How world Leaders should respond tp the food price crisis

This Oxfam report discusses how global leaders should address the rapidly increasing price of food and the impact it is having on the world's poor.

http://www.oxfam.org.nz/imgs/whatwedo/the%20time%20is%20now.pdf

(Added: Mon Jun 09 2008   Hits: 10)