Political Economy Archive: Food prices
World Bank report: Jump in global food prices pushes millions into poverty
Rising food prices pushed millions of people into extreme poverty last year and are reaching "dangerous levels" in some countries, World Bank President Robert Zoellick said on Tuesday as he released new data showing the cost of grain and other staples is now near its historic high. A bank index of food costs rose 15 percent over the last four months and is now just three percent below the level reached in 2008, a historic high that eased during the economic downturn. Wheat prices have been among the fastest moving, doubling between June and January as Russia restricted exports, Australia's crop was damaged by flooding and the size of China's upcoming winter crop has been cast into doubt due to an ongoing drought.
By
Howard Schneider
| February 15, 2011; 12:17 PM ET |
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Food prices, International Economics
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Spike in global food prices contributes to Tunisian violence
The state of emergency in Tunisia has economists worried that we may be seeing the beginnings of a second wave of global food riots. Battered by bad weather and increasing demand from the developing world, the global food supply system...
By
Ariana Eunjung Cha
| January 14, 2011; 1:42 PM ET |
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Food prices, International Economics
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