Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rome (Agenzia Fides) - International economic institutions are all hearing the same alarming news: the world is facing a serious food crisis that threatens to destroy the progress made, in recent decades, among the world’s poorest countries. “The cost of rice has reached a global increase of 75% in only two months and the cost of grain, in the last year has risen 120%. This means that, for example, the cost of a loaf of bread has more than doubled and that in Yemen, a middle-class family spends more than 25% of its income on bread,” said World Bank President Robert Zoellick. “Hundreds of thousands of people will die of hunger. We are on the verge of a real worldwide food supply shock, less visible than that of fuel, however with the potential effect of an economic and humanitarian tsunami in Africa,” said Dominique Strauss-Kahn, General Director of the General Monetary Fund. And in unison with his voice are those of many Ministers and experts from the world of Western economy, who consider the issue a real worldwide priority.
37 countries around the world, from Haiti to Mexico, and from Senegal to Egypt, continue to witness uprisings from the steep rise in food prices, that most harshly hit the poorest sectors in the countries with fragile economies. The so-called biofuels use lands and crops that had been once used for food, in order to allow cars in the more developed countries to continue circulating, in spite of the high price of petroleum. This is a scandalous situation, considering the fact that Europeans spend 15% of their income on food, versus the 75% spent by Nigerians.
In the face of this crisis, criticism increases from those who call for a reform of energy policies that place the survival of underprivileged nations at risk. However, biofuels are not the only reason for the rise in food costs. The rise in the cost of petroleum also contributes to the rise in agricultural products, both in their production and transportation. In addition to all this, are the changes in food selection in different countries, especially in Asia where the growing economy allows for an increase in meat consumption. An increase in meat consumption implies more livestock and, therefore, an increase in agricultural area dedicated to grazing land or to producing feed for the animals, thus contributing to a decrease in production of grains for human consumption. To these factors, are added the rapid urban development that has reduced the surface area available for planting crops, natural disasters that have set back or destroyed crops in several countries that export rice and other grains, and speculation on the part of international and local markets.
And what can be done about this situation? The World Bank has called for a “New Deal” on hunger. The donating countries are asked to promptly provide 325 million Euros for the World Food Program. The United States has announced their emergency aid plan of 200 million dollars. In Africa, the current crisis has been seen as an opportunity to boost the local agricultural economy. The South African Finance Minister, Trevor Manuel, encouraged his fellow citizens to replant crops in order to confront the crisis. However, what is now needed is that as many African countries as possible become self-reliant for their alimentary needs. They should refuse “handouts,” therefore, and focus on investment in infrastructures, wells, dykes, and roads, in rural area education, as well as in forming a local food supply industry for processing African agricultural products. The economically stronger countries should open their markets to the African producers, as well, to allow for a genuine boost in the agricultural economy and not only in subsistence. (LM) (Agenzia Fides 15/4/2008; righe 46, parole 615)
