UN Warns of Food Shortages

The United Nations has warned of rising food prices and shortages in the coming months, although it does not expert a repeat of the 2008 situation.

"Although food stocks are generally good, after a year in which harvests were wiped out in Pakistan and Russia, sugar and rice are at their highest price levels. And global wheat and maize prices recently jumped nearly 30 per cent in a few weeks.

Global meat prices are at 20-year highs and last week the US predicted wheat harvests would be 30 million tonnes lower than last year. Meanwhile, the price of tomatoes in Egypt, garlic in China and bread in Pakistan are at near-record levels."

The story as reported by The Age in Australian can be found here.