EU fears food price rises will lead to ’spiral of protectionism’

Here.

Hunger Hypocrites, Le Monde - Editorial

Hunger riots having erupted on the television news, it’s time for mobilization. From Paris to Washington, everyone has their own idea about how to come to the aid of poor countries’ populations unable to withstand the price increases in basic foodstuffs, notably rice. We can only commend this surge of generosity. To fail to respond [...]

Argentina’s Soy Storm: Tensions Rising Among Farmers

Argentina has often been described as the bread basket of the Southern Cone, with plenty of fertile land for grains and cattle. In fact, the economy is based on agro-exports. But with soy production taking over massive tracks of land, producing food crops for domestic consumption has become an increasing challenge for the resource rich [...]

Bad policy, not biofuel, drive food prices - Merkel

Here.

Rats set off famine scare in Indian state

A food shortage has hit a remote Indian state after an army of rats began devouring rice crops, triggering a famine scare, officials said Friday.

How the rich starved the world

New Statesman
The irony is extraordinary. At a time when world leaders are expressing grave concern about diminishing food stocks and a coming global food crisis, our government brings into force measures to increase the use of biofuels - a policy that will further increase food prices, and further worsen the plight of the world’s poor.
What [...]

The Ethanol Apologists

CounterPunch
The outrages of the ethanol mandates are growing by the day.
Last week, a study funded by American beef, pork and chicken producers estimated that the total cost to taxpayers of the corn ethanol mandates now exceeds $33 billion per year. That’s equal to about $106 per American citizen. While the soaring cost of the [...]

Camembert wars get dirty in fight for France’s soul

Guardian
In his tiny workshop with a view of his cows, Francois Durand stood lovingly ladling raw milk curd into cheese moulds. After several weeks of salting, ripening and maturing, these would turn into the pungent, oozing Camembert that is France’s favourite soft cheese - as much part of the national stereotype as the Basque beret, [...]

Climate change driving Darfur crisis: Sarkozy

AFP
French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Friday said the war in Darfur had been sparked in part by climate change, and warned global warming could lead to “dozens” more conflicts.
In a speech at a major conference in Paris, Sarkozy said the conflict in Darfur resulted from “an explosive mixture” in which climate change had affected agriculture, [...]

IMF head warns that food shortages can topple governments, even spark war

Here.