Rising Food Prices

Armenia Now reported last week on how the global trend of rising food prices has affected Armenia. However, while the cost to consumers has hardly resulted in riots or protests here (yet), Global Voices Online reports that the situation is very different elsewhere.

The crisis of skyrocketing food prices is affecting all economic groups in every corner of the world. Every day, it seems, high-priced food sends another country lurching through some crisis: demonstrations, riots, rumors of hoarding, falling governments, even deaths.

[…]

So many countries of the developing world import a large percentage of the foodstuffs necessary to feed their populations. Rising prices means problems grow quickly. Even for food exporters, rising prices has touched a nerve. […]

[…]

Talk about globalization.

In its Global Food Crisis 2008 special section, Global Voices Online asks whether rising food prices is the story of the year. It also looks at the reason why a food crisis is looming with reports from across the globe.

[…] Changing diets from economic growth in China and India, bad weather, rising oil prices, higher shipping costs, and the economic reaction to rich countries setting aside crops like corn and wheat to produce ethanol gas. And of course, the decline of the U.S. dollar which most staple products are still traded in.

Read John Liebhardt’s global roundup of the food crisis as seen through the eyes of bloggers featured on Global Voices.