'Food inflation threatens millions in Asia'

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/176765.html

According to an ADB report released on Tuesday, domestic food price inflation hit an average of 10 percent in developing Asian countries at the start of the year.

The costs of essentials such as wheat, corn, sugar, edible oils, dairy products and meat underwent a double-digit rise, while the price of rice -- one of Asia's staple foods -- is also expected to peak.

If the situation is not contained, this can push at least 64 million people -- or nearly 2 percent of Asia's 3.3 billion people -- below the poverty line of USD 1.25 a day, the Manila-based bank warned.

Coupled with skyrocketing oil prices the current food price hike could also reduce economic growth in Asia by up to 1.5 percent this year.

While Asian economies have emerged strong from the 2008 global financial crisis, the rising cost of living has become a big concern in the region.

ADB's chief economist Rhee Changyong said Tuesday that if the global food crisis is left unchecked it could even undermine recent gains made in Asia's poverty reduction.

To stem the looming crisis many Asian countries have so far imposed export bans on their products, a practice that is not helping the cause, according to Rhee.

Instead, nations should strengthen social safety nets, increase investments in agricultural infrastructure and expand storage facilities, the ADB's senior economist said.

He added that these measures will ensure that food produce is not wasted, thus helping to keep prices in check.

'Half of Niger's population hungry'

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=138851§ionid=351020506


Niger is facing the worst hunger crisis in its history, with almost half of the population (or 7.3 million people) in desperate need of food, the UN's World Food (WFP) Program says.

The WFP says 17 percent of the African nation's children, or one in five, are acutely malnourished.

The charity Helen Keller International (HKI) has accused the international community of failing to respond effectively to repeated appeals for help for Niger.

HKI's Africa director, Shawn Baker, stated, "Famine is a very loaded word. But I think if you look in terms of the number of children affected, the way the livestock have been decimated, and the population movements that were seen earlier in the year, you certainly could consider a famine situation," reported BBC.

The UN reported that more than 67,000 people lost their homes after severe rains in the past week. The River Niger, the 3rd largest river in Africa, reached its highest level for 80 years, said the regional river authority, the ABN.

Not only are many village people going short of food, but their livestock, which are their only real assets, have died off.

Global warming cuts crops, ups famine

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=138106§ionid=3510212


Scientists have warned of the effect of global warming on rice yields, saying climate change will make it harder to feed the world's growing population.

A group of scientists studied records from 227 farms in six important rice-producing countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, India, and China and found out that the yields have fallen by 10-20% over the last 25 years in some locations, BBC reported on Monday.

In a similar study in 2004, researchers in the Philippines discovered that the rice yields were dropping by 10% for every 1 degree centigrade increase in nighttime temperature.

According to the findings, global warming is cutting rice yields in many parts of Asia, and still more decline is predicted.

This is while the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has announced that one billion people are already hungry in the world and as the result, the UN has established an online petition to tackle the world's hunger epidemic.

However, scientists are very pessimistic about the future of cutting yields.

In another study on fully-irrigated farms that grow "green revolution" crops, researchers found compelling evidence for dropping of rice yields.

The findings, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that as the daily minimum temperature increases, or as nights get hotter, rice yields drop.

"There have been some recent studies on US crops, in particular corn, that showed the drop-off after that threshold is substantial," the lead researcher Jarrod Welch of the University of California, San Diego said.

According to environmentalists, warmer climates will bring changes to rainfall, causing drought, adding to famine and hunger.

18 killed in Thailand protests

Source: PressTV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=122964&sectionid=351020406


Clashes between demonstrators and security forces in Thailand have left 18 people dead and protesters have called on the king to stop the bloodshed.

The clashes broke out near several government and army buildings in Bangkok on Saturday when government troops tried to disperse protesters, using rubber bullets, tear gas, and water cannons.

Eleven civilians and four soldiers were killed and about 680 people were injured, some by rubber bullets, AFP quoted emergency services as saying.

The protests calling for the return of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra turned violent despite tight security measures, including the deployment of tens of thousands of troops and armored vehicles throughout the capital.

Angered by the massive presence of soldiers and police forces across the city, the protesters attempted to force their way into a military base, but were driven back by water cannons.

Saturday was the bloodiest day since Thaksin's red-clad supporters began their campaign on March 12.

The twice-elected former premier was ousted in a military coup in 2006 and was later sentenced to two years in prison over corruption charges that many say were trumped up.

However, Thaksin remains extremely popular with the rural poor, who have staged frequent rallies calling for his return to power.

Embattled current Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva offered his condolences over the deaths but refused to give in to the protesters' pressure to stand down.

Early on Sunday, the leader of the anti-government "red shirt" protesters, Jatuporn Prompan, called on Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej to intervene, saying it was the only way to prevent more bloodshed.

The ailing king has no official political role in the country's decision-making process but is seen as a unifying figure. He was able to bring an end to violence during a 1992 uprising by chastising both the military and protest leaders.