subsidies

In most of sub-Saharan Africa, maize is a staple food crop. This paper explores some of the reasons why maize markets fail and argues that a major reason is because there is so little trust or cooperation between governments and private traders.

A key factor in global food price volatility is the way that states react to disruptions in supply.

Political leaders have admitted that they will probably fail to deliver on promises to halve world hunger by 2015

The G8 Agriculture meeting in Italy is heading for a profound failure with ministers dithering about the bold action needed to tackle the global food crisis. The Italian Agriculture Minister Luca Zaia’s opening promise of “three days that will make history" is sounding very hollow.

More than 75,000 people will die of hunger during the three days that G8 Agriculture Ministers will meet to talk about the food crisis. Oxfam is warning Ministers that the answer to the global food crisis is not increased production in rich countries but support for the world’s poorest farmers.

Biofuels are presented in rich countries as a solution to two crises: the climate crisis and the oil crisis.