Global food prices are set to rise by 10 to 40 per cent over
the coming decade, according to a joint report from the Organization for
Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.
Meat prices will rise by more than that average, grains by
less, they predict.
“We would urge
governments around the world to begin to shift and to shift quickly from
old-style policies to a greater focus on productivity and innovation,'' said Ken
Ash of the OECD.
“If we carry on
blissfully as if nothing has changed in the world, there could be a problem,''
he said.
Food
consumption in developing countries has grown by up to 30 per cent a year over
the past decade as incomes rose, while consumption in developed countries
changed little, the agencies said.
China's imports
of meat and oilseeds are forecast to grow as its increasingly prosperous
consumers spend more on food, the agencies said.
China will be increasing
imports of oilseeds by about 60 per cent and dairy products by about 20 per
cent, the report predicts.
The report should cause Canadians to ponder whether farmers ought to be allowed to produce milk, chicken, turkey and eggs strictly for export without having to acquire quota from the supply-management marketing boards.
