The message couldn't be clearer, direct or of greater concern.....
"Oxfam warns that as global food prices continue to increase the resultant hardship caused to people who were already struggling to obtain adequate amounts of food is increasing demands for a major reform in global food prices.
When world food prices reached a new historic peak in January, it left over a billion people, or one-sixth of the world's population, hungry and millions of people under threat of starvation, with the situation expected to worsen, Oxfam officials say.
Oxfam is calling on world leaders to act to improve the regulation of food markets. In addition, it is asking for investment in a global climate fund.
World food prices have more than doubled since 1990, but the incomes of the poor have not.
"Poor people in developing countries spend between 50-80% of their income on food, making higher prices, as well as unpredictable prices, a serious threat to their ability to eat – let alone continue spending on other basic needs such as health, or education," Oxfam officials say in a statement posted on the website.
The key drivers of rising food prices are reduced production caused by bad weather that might be linked to climate change; export restrictions and panic buying mostly caused by weather related problems; increased demand for food and for biofuels, which removes land from food production; financial disruptions, including low interest rates, depreciation of the dollar and speculation in commodity markets; and increased oil prices that increased the costs of fertilizer for crops and transportation to get food to market or stores."
"Oxfam warns that as global food prices continue to increase the resultant hardship caused to people who were already struggling to obtain adequate amounts of food is increasing demands for a major reform in global food prices.
When world food prices reached a new historic peak in January, it left over a billion people, or one-sixth of the world's population, hungry and millions of people under threat of starvation, with the situation expected to worsen, Oxfam officials say.
Oxfam is calling on world leaders to act to improve the regulation of food markets. In addition, it is asking for investment in a global climate fund.
World food prices have more than doubled since 1990, but the incomes of the poor have not.
"Poor people in developing countries spend between 50-80% of their income on food, making higher prices, as well as unpredictable prices, a serious threat to their ability to eat – let alone continue spending on other basic needs such as health, or education," Oxfam officials say in a statement posted on the website.
The key drivers of rising food prices are reduced production caused by bad weather that might be linked to climate change; export restrictions and panic buying mostly caused by weather related problems; increased demand for food and for biofuels, which removes land from food production; financial disruptions, including low interest rates, depreciation of the dollar and speculation in commodity markets; and increased oil prices that increased the costs of fertilizer for crops and transportation to get food to market or stores."
Comments