Dearer food to hit consumption

Starving children searching for insects to eat in Sudan
From 'Take it Personally' Anita Roddick.

As if there aren't enough people with little food to eat. But, of course, feeding people isn't a global priority.

Poor countries are likely to have to cut food consumption after an “alarming” increase in their agricultural commodities bill, the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation warned on Wednesday.

The FAO said its biannual Food Outlook report that high and volatile prices of grains, such as wheat and maize, could curtail procurement in many countries.

“Given the firmness of food prices in the international markets, the situation could deteriorate further in the coming months leading to reduction in imports and consumption in many low-income food-deficit countries,” it said.

The world’s food import bill will rise in 2007 to $745bn, up 21 per cent from last year. Developing countries’ food bill will increase 25.5 per cent, to almost $233bn, acording to FAO estimates. The annual food expenditures for the most vulnerable countries have more than double since 2000.

Folks, people will do anything to eat. Crime will go up. Better build more prisons fast.

Another side affect is people will sell their children because they need food and can't afford to feed them. This is already a problem in many poorer countries.

Via Financial Times.