Rising Food Prices
By: Alexandre Jallot
In 2007 the grain prices increased by 28 percent: this spells disaster for the lower income people of Latin America in which grains make up 43 percent of their diet. The prices of soy, corn, wheat, and sugar have all jumped at an alarming rate. Latin America has seen the sharpest incline of the food gap in the world. The food gap is the amount of food needed to raise consumption of all income groups to the nutritional requirement of around 2,100 calories per person per day. In Latin America and the Caribbean the food gap has increased to 24 percent. On countries that rely heavily on grain imports such as Peru, Guatemala, and Honduras, this is expected to have a particularly disastrous effect. One of the reasons for this is the increase of the price of petroleum. An increase in the price of petroleum inevitably leads to an increase in the price of fertilizing, transportation, and the processing of food.
By: Alexandre Jallot
In 2007 the grain prices increased by 28 percent: this spells disaster for the lower income people of Latin America in which grains make up 43 percent of their diet. The prices of soy, corn, wheat, and sugar have all jumped at an alarming rate. Latin America has seen the sharpest incline of the food gap in the world. The food gap is the amount of food needed to raise consumption of all income groups to the nutritional requirement of around 2,100 calories per person per day. In Latin America and the Caribbean the food gap has increased to 24 percent. On countries that rely heavily on grain imports such as Peru, Guatemala, and Honduras, this is expected to have a particularly disastrous effect. One of the reasons for this is the increase of the price of petroleum. An increase in the price of petroleum inevitably leads to an increase in the price of fertilizing, transportation, and the processing of food.
The spike in oil prices has prompted many governments to turn to alternative sources of fuel such as bio-fuels made from corn and sugar. If Latin American countries begin to invest more heavily into bio-fuels then that would further increase the prices of food, making the lives of the poor in Latin America all the more difficult. This isn’t just a matter of being able to not go to bed hungry, though that is important, but this is also a matter of mental health and capacity as well. If children aren’t getting enough nutrients and calories due to high food prices, then they won’t be able to perform as well in school. If adults are in a constant state of hunger, or have to constantly divert their resources towards food, then the chances of them working productively decrease.
This is a growing crisis that needs to be addressed because it affects societies in Latin America as a whole.
Write to us at dimelo_publication@yahoo.com to tell us what you think would be efficient alternatives to the crises affecting countries around the world regarding food prices.
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