High food prices, scarcity leading to unrest around the world
March 29th, 2008 by Jim JustThe New York Times reports that some of the world’s largest rice producers are slashing rice exports because of rising food prices and scarcity, in an attempt to head off civil unrest.
The article lists countries around the world that have seen food-related disturbances or violence recently: Pakistan, Indonesia, China, Guinea, Mauritania, Mexico, Morocco, Senegal, Uzbekistan, Yemen.
Limiting of exports by rice-producing nations to ensure domestic supplies is driving prices on the world market even higher.
Several factors are contributing to the steep rice in prices, including increased demand in India and China, drought and other bad weather in Australia and elsewhere, disease, the diversion of rice-producing land to other cash crops – and the conversion of farm land to urban and industrial development.