| ID | 090184 |
| Title Proper | New era of food insecurity |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Dupont, Alan ; Thirlwell, Mark |
| Publication | 2009. |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | With the world in the midst of the most serious economic downturn since the Great Depression and soft commodity prices depressed, it is easy to forget that barely a year ago sky-rocketing food prices were generating serious political and social strife in more than 30 countries around the world. The price of rice more than tripled in the 12 months to April 2008, while the food price index published by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) rose by an unprecedented 50%. In 2007, the number of people living in conditions of food insecurity increased by between 50 and 130 million as the global food import bill rose to its highest level on record. Pessimists predicted the end of cheap food presaging a new era of resource insecurity. The spectre of Malthus seemed once again to haunt the Earth. Were these dramatic increases in price merely a cyclical aberration or do they foreshadow a structural shift in supply and demand that will prove the pessimists right? These are not inconsequential questions. The price of food is a matter of profound importance for the economic well-being of billions of people and the political stability of the most affected states. This analysis explores the reasons for the 2008 food crisis by placing it in historical context and drawing out the implications for policymakers and business. |
| `In' analytical Note | Survival : the IISS Quarterly Vol. 51, No. 3; Jun-Jul 2009: p71-98 |
| Journal Source | Survival : the IISS Quarterly Vol. 51, No. 3; Jun-Jul 2009: p71-98 |
| Key Words | Food Security ; Food Prices ; Global Population ; Population Growth |