Agflation  The real costs of rising food prices
Farmers can't keep up with rising demand. The world is in a food crisis that's already boiled over in some places. Track the impact with the stories and map below.
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Italy's "new poor"

Double-digit price rises for staple foods and the latest spasms of the financial crisis have forced many Italians to collect handouts of the basic foods they can no longer afford.  Full Article 

 

On the farm

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Fertilizer threat

It powered the Green Revolution and helped save millions from starvation, but now, one of the most important tools on the farm is being priced out of reach for many of the world's growers.   Full Article 

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Bee banishment

With soaring global demand for food and biofuels sending crops sprawling across the fertile Argentine plains, beekeepers in the world's No. 1 honey region are feeling the sting.   Full Article 

 

Agflation and War

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Hearts and stomachs

Afghanistan is facing one of its worst food shortages in years, with prices of the staple wheat rising 60 percent in the first half of the year.  Full Article 

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Food price woes

Iraqis once lived in constant fear of car bomb attacks while shopping. Now, the biggest concern at the market is soaring food prices.  Full Article 

 

Graphics

  • Ethanol production
  • Rice production
 

Focus on Food

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End of decadence?

With soaring food prices sparking protests in many countries and more than 800 million people going hungry every day, U.S. food portions are increasingly under scrutiny.  Full Article 

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To heat or to eat?

"Fuel poverty" -- a phenomenon that has crept into the lower income brackets of British society in recent years -- is now at the top of the political agenda, as more people are choosing between food and heat.  Full Article 

focus on ethanol

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Grain boom over?

For many farmers rather than lasting prosperity, the commodities boom has brought costlier fuel and fertilizers. This has some Spanish farmers already thinking of switching away from grain this winter.  Full Article 

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Harvest advances hurt

In top biofuel producer Brazil, manual cane cutting, a grueling job once done by slaves, is being fazed out as demand pushes new technology.  Full Article 

Food Crisis - Mouse over the countries in the map below to track the latest food-related news and some selected policy responses

Graphic: The dynamics of the corn market

Corn production has soared - but so has demand. This look at a key commodity shows the stresses in force in the global market.

Click on the buttons to track the growth in corn production and the impact of ethanol. Through it all, prices have fluctuated -- Frank Tantillo
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture

More Headlines

 

Poll: Food prices

Food prices rose 23% in 2007 around the world, according to the UN. A year from now, do you expect to spend...
About the same on food
Up to 10% more
10 to 20% more
More than 20% more
Don't know
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See what bloggers from the Global Voices network are saying about rising food prices. XML