Reading notes of A furious hunger by Vivienne Walt

Résumé du document

This article deals with the rise of prices of basic foodstuff, such as rice, wheat and maize, which provokes an increasing number of "hunger riots?, throughout the developing countries with a demand for price decrease. As the writer underlines, food is becoming a new serious threat for world peace. Earlier, we have observed food riots in Mexico, Pakistan, Burkina Faso, India, Senegal, Mauritania and Cameroon, during which people protested for high food prices, and the lack of response by the State. According to Joachim Van Braun, director of he International Food Policy Research Institute, these riots are "a serious security issue?. This is perhaps, because, in all likelihood, it will take at least a decade to lower the current prices. Various factors explain the rise in prices. Firstly, the growing number of consumers from countries like China, India, Brazil and Russia who want to enjoy their purchasing power began consuming more and better food, including cereals and their derivatives.

Extraits

[...] Reading notes of A furious hunger by Vivienne Walt Introduction This article deals with the rise of prices of basic foodstuffs, such as rice, wheat and maize, which provokes an increasing number of hunger riots throughout the developing countries, to demand price decrease. the reasons for rising foodstuffs prices Indeed, as the journalist underlines, food is becoming a new serious threat for world peace. Last year, we have observed food riots in Mexico, Pakistan, Burkina Faso, India, Senegal, Mauritania and Cameroon, during which people protested against high food prices, and the lack of response by the State. [...]

[...] But, any change will require time. And, until then, third-world farmers try to adapt, planting resistant rice crops, or using genetically modified organisms (such as Mosanto's one). But, it also allows these farmers to earn more money, and, then, to reinvest it into agricultural tools or new farmlands. The journalist concludes her article arguing that people might still opt to burn government buildings and attack stores. This, at least, is free Conclusion As a conclusion, we can say that this article underlines well the current key issues about rising food prices. [...]

[...] According to Josette Sheeran, executive director of the World Food Program, we are seeing a new face of hunger. People who were not in the urgent category now are Indeed, the World Food Program currently needs some five hundred millions dollars to keep up with the rising cos of basic foodstuffs, in order to help seventy three million people all over the world. But, at the same time, the USAID (United States Agency for International Development), WFP's biggest donor has had financial difficulties to such an extent that they have had to reduce their upcoming programs by 25%. [...]

[...] II) The effects of these rising prices All those elements explain why, between 2007 and 2008, the price of soybeens grew from 280 dollars per ton to 500, the one of rice from 310 to 460, and why the price of wheat reaches today 450 dollars per ton while it only was at 200 one year ago. Il also explains why the global stockpiles of cereals are today so low, sustainable for five weeks only (its lowest rate in fifty years). On one hand, those high prices of cereals benefit the speculators. [...]