Announcing
this December 2010 rise in food prices, the United Nations Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) stated that it was the steepest since
records began in 1990. Rice prices shot up to a 27-month high in
countries such as Bangladesh and Indonesia, two of the largest rice
importers in Asia, with Bangladesh doubling imports due to panicked
buying.
In Sri Lanka, where floods have just displaced over a
million people, rice prices were also up amidst grave concerns over the
fate of the staple crop after tens of thousands of acres of agricultural
land were destroyed. Floods in Victoria, Australia have also devastated
potential harvests of fruit and vegetable growers, while heavy rains
and floods damaged swaths across southern Africa, with Lesotho having
already lost 60% of her crops.
China’s food producing regions
are also suffering from the worst drought in 60 years, decreasing yields
across 4 million hectares. In an effort to address both the food
shortages and the escalation of tensions that could result in conflict,
the FAO along with France, current leader of the G20 group, have called
for more regulations to help stabilize prices and food supplies.
During
a joint press conference, FAO head Jacques Diouf noted the unrest that
has already been seen in some parts of the world, as French Farm
Minister Bruno Le Maire stated, “We share the same view that today, the
real risk of a global food crisis exists.” South Korean President Lee
Myung-Bak similarly highlighted
the need to address this emerging
issue as he stated, “The likelihood of a global food crisis is rising
due to climate change. We need to set up national strategies and
research to tackle the issue.”
We appreciate the concern of the
United Nations, South Korea and governments worldwide seeking ways to
stabilize this grave situation on which lives and livelihoods depend.
May
humane and constructive food production policies be swiftly implemented
to ensure the nourishing sustenance of people. Speaking about rising
food costs and those who suffer from hunger, Supreme Master Ching Hai
during an October 2009 videoconference in Germany expressed deep concern
while offering a solution that would address all needs.
Supreme Master Ching Hai : According
to a recent announcement by the United Nations, the number of people
going hungry across the world in 2009, this year, has now officially
exceeded 1 billion.
This is due in part to the steeply rising
food costs that are part of our global economic crisis. However, this is
directly related to meat consumption. Because if all the grains fed to
livestock animals were grown for human consumption instead, then the
amounts of food harvested for humans would be higher and prices lower.
Moreover,
global warming has resulted in many instances of documented extreme
weather, leading to devastating crop losses and also drive food prices
sky high. So, if everyone turns to the plant-based diet, we have more
food immediately and an easing of conditions like drought and flooding,
with abundant harvests
and food supplies quickly restored.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-01-27/rice-imports-by-bangladesh-to-double-on-panic-buying-prices-hasan-says.htmlhttp://www.thejakartaglobe.com/business/indonesia-to-bolster-rice-inventories-to-curb-record-prices/421210 http://english.ntdtv.com/ntdtv_en/ns_life/2011-02-07/243747912938.html http://westernfarmpress.com/management/pressure-mounts-food-security-farming-capacity-border-states http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2011/0208/1224289257927.html
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