Riots and hunger: the impact of industrial bio-fuel

Posted on Monday, December 3, 2007

Mainstream reporting:

“The risks of food riots and malnutrition will surge in the next two years as the global supply of grain comes under more pressure than at any time in 50 years, according to one of the world’s leading agricultural researchers … Recent pasta protests in Italy, tortilla rallies in Mexico and onion demonstrations in India are just the start of the social instability to come unless there is a fundamental shift to boost production of staple foods, Joachim von Braun, the head of the International Food Policy Research Institute, warned in an interview with the Guardian.”

… and another example:

“Bangladeshi officials say the price of cooking oil – of which it imports 1.2m tonnes a year – has almost tripled in the past two years because it is now valued as an alternative to diesel oil.”