Ultimately America is to blame for everything right? You can always see where ideologically driven arguments end up, the USA and their energy hunger. Sorry don't buy it.

You forgot to mention a major source of Global Food price increase. Its the same reason the oil price is rising rapidly. China. And to a lesser extent India.

Increased standard of living (China + others) = Higher demand for Protein which requires an enormous output of grain for Beef cattle which in turn raises the price of grain.

Brazil has been producing huge amounts of ethanol without affecting their food production for 20+ years.

colinsett (Monday, 2 June 2008 10:25:20 AM)

I agree – the most critical aspect of the problem, population growth, is totally ignored in this article. It generally seems to be a political no-go area. But hiding our heads in the sand won’t make the problem go away.

The UN report World Population Prospects suggests the population of the developed world is expected to remain virtually unchanged over the next 40 years, around 1.2 billion. However the report also suggests that, if recent fertility rates remain constant, the population of the developing world could grow to 10.6 billion by 2050. This would mean a global population of nearly 12 billion by 2050.

Given we’re struggling to meet demand now, something’s probably going to give before this number is reached…

The UN report argues that it is essential that access to family planning expands in the poorest countries of the world.

The internet edition of Bangladesh’s The New Nation (4 April 08) notes that their government officials are calling “upon the people to check population growth and help ensure development of the national economy. The current trend of population increase must be checked, otherwise it may pose a threat to the healthy growth of the country’s socio-economic uplift programmes…” http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2008/04/04/news0579.htm

Perhaps we should do more to help the poorest countries with family planning assistance?