What’s driving food prices?
Javier Blas explains why the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation are giving the global food market ‘critical’ status
ARCHIVED
The global food crisis
Resources
Tight supplies, changing weather patterns and rising demand in emerging economies have all contributed to rising concerns about food security
More in this section
US predicts receding food price threat
Record grain crops planted thanks to commodity markets rally, but outlook may unravel if bad weather hits farming regions
Gates attacks ‘outdated’ UN food agencies
Donor denounces inefficient system
US food groups struggle with costs
Price increases are eating into profit margins
Bumper wheat crops ease inflation concern
Inventories head towards 12-year high
Food producers plan price increases
Elevated input costs to be passed on to consumers
Related content and features
Interactive
What’s driving the wheat price spike?
Track the major events from Russian fires to Canadian storms that have affected wheat production, driven up prices and sparked fears of another food crisis similar to the one in 2007-08
Video
beyondbrics: Food file
The rise of emerging markets is reshaping the way the world farms, eats and spends its money
Comment and analysis
Food security: Dampened prospects
As population growth outstrips agricultural gains, policymakers will have to juggle the conflicting needs of food, jobs and the environment. By Louise Lucas and James Fontanella-Khan
Feeding the 9bn
This year’s bumper harvests do not ease the urgency of food security. The world is a long way from resolving the problem
Indian exports cap rice prices
New Delhi’s return to the market is filling the gap left by the floods in Thailand and is preventing a round of panic buying
Helping food producers weather the storm
If supply is to match rising demand, substantial investment is needed to increase productivity. Most of this can come only from the private sector, writes Thomas Mirow
Europe: we’re parched up here
It is shaping up to be one of the driest years on record across northern Europe. Concerns about the impact of a drought on already high food prices are justified
Russia: wheat ban worked
Judging by public comments from World Trade Organisation officials, Russia’s intervention has not set back the timetable for its accession to the 153-member body
Food price volatility
The first-ever G20 farm ministers’ conference in Paris is set to condemn the trend of increasingly rapid changes in agricultural commodity prices
Sarkozy targets commodity prices
Overhauling derivatives markets is only half the battle. Rich countries should help poorer nations by investing more in development aid
More stories
