Food prices to rocket by 50% as global hunger epidemic takes hold, government doomsday report warns

By David Derbyshire
Last updated at 4:23 PM on 24th January 2011

• Comments (171)
• Add to My Stories

• 'Perfect storm' of issues will bring widespread starvation if nothing is done
• World will need '40% more food, 30% more water and 50% more energy' by middle of the century
• 'Scaremongering' over GM foods is no longer acceptable, says UK science chief
• Global population to grow to 9billion by 2050

The cost of food will soar by 50 per cent in coming years, putting a massive strain on overstretched family budgets, experts have warned.
The 'substantial' hike in prices will be triggered by the exploding world population, rising cost of fuel and increased competition for water, a leading Government think tank said.
Spiralling food prices will push hundreds of millions of people into hunger, trigger mass migrations and spark riots around the world, the report warned.

Food crisis: A leading Government think tank has warned scaremongering over GM farming is no longer acceptable

The world is facing a commodities crisis that could leave millions unable to afford the rising costs of food as population levels soar

And in the UK, the price of everyday basics like bread, rice and milk will spiral to inflation-busting record prices within the next few decades.
The report called for 'urgent action' to prevent food shortages and said genetically modified crops may be needed to prevent famines.

 

More...

• Was climate change responsible for the rise and fall of the Roman Empire?
• 'We can live on bread and water... but not with this ruling party,' say Tunisia protesters as they take to the streets again
• How to slash the cost of your weekly food shop (thisismoney.co.uk)

The warning comes as global food prices are already at a record high. Last month the price cereals, sugar and meat soared on the world's markets after a series of crop failures caused by bad weather.
The new report comes from Foresight, a think tank set up to predict future crises.
It predicted that the world's population would rise from 6.9billion today to around 9billion by the middle of the century.

Bleak outlook: Sir John cited swelling population levels, energy shortages and climate change will make 'perfect storm' forcing widespread starvation

As the world gets more crowded and more wealthy, demand for food, water and energy will soar.
At the same time, climate change will increase the risk of droughts, floods and crop failures - creating a 'perfect storm' of food shortages and above inflation hikes in prices.
'There is a very large risk of a quite substantial increase in prices over the next 30 or 40 years,' said co-author Professor Charles Godfray of Oxford University.
'We are going to have to produce considerably more food. So inescapably we are going to have to produce more food from the same amount of land without wrecking the environment.'
The report, written by 40 scientists in 35 countries, called for a 'green revolution' to boost production using traditional, organic and genetically modified crops - designed to be resistant to drought or salt water - and better training for farmers in poor and middle income countries.
It also called for a massive crackdown on food waste - claiming that a third of all food produced today ends up in the bin.
A typical UK household wastes £500 to £700 a year on food that they buy and don't eat.
Professor Sherman Robinson of Sussex University, an author of the report, said food prices could go up by 50 per cent over the next few decades.
'The robust conclusion is that the long run decline in food prices is over,' he said.
Even a 'modest' rise in food prices could push 100million people into hunger, the report warned.
Professor John Beddington, the Government's chief scientific adviser, said the food system was failing.
'Firstly it is unsustainable, with resources being used faster than they can be naturally replenished,' he said.
'Secondly a billion people are going hungry with another billion people suffering from "hidden hunger", whilst a billion people are over-consuming.'

Swelling: Sir John said he world's population will reach a total of around 9,000 million by 2050, with around 60% living in cities

Professor Tim Lang from the Centre for Food Policy at City University London said: 'The evidence suggests a complex situation emerging for the world’s food system. It is being hit by a multiple-whammy of environmental threats, financial pressures, societal demands, supply chain power fights and health inequalities.
'The problems outlined by the Foresight Report are in a sense depressingly predictable, but it cannot say what we all know.
'While the focus is often on Africa, the reality is that the Western world’s model of food production and consumption is not sustainable either. We over-consume, pay too little, have heavy environmental footprints, and distort our health.
'Yet somehow the politicians and policy-makers won’t get a grip. They are frightened of unlocking us from an unsustainable system


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1350009/Food-prices-rocket-50-global-hunger-epidemic-takes-hold.html#ixzz1BygqFu00