最近の日本のニュースでは、猛暑と寒波の影響で、野菜の値段が高騰していることが話題ですね。しかし、それは日本だけではないようです。
世界中の経済学者が地球規模の食料の価格高騰に懸念を示しています。食料価格の指標は1999年の調査開始以来の最高値となっています。
悪天候による食料不足の心配が広がっているために、米・麦・砂糖・肉などは高値が続くか、さらに上がるかもしれません。
例えば最近のオーストラリアでの大洪水により、小麦・トウモロコシなどの穀物が大被害を受けています。他の野菜・果物の被害も深刻です。
高い水位の影響で、来年の砂糖の生産は半減するかもしれないとも言われています。野菜・果物は今後６ヶ月は高値を維持するとも言われます。
昨年のパキスタンと中国での大洪水の影響は今にいたるも続いています。
ロシアは小麦輸出の禁止を継続します。昨夏の猛暑、干ばつ、森林大火により小麦の農地の３分の１もがダメージを受けたといいます。
アルジェリアでは食料暴動が起きたあと、食料の税金を下げました。暴動の主な理由は食料油と砂糖の高騰だと言われています。
チュニジアでの暴動は食料価格に起因する経済問題と言われています。
経済研究所は「世界の国々は農業の生産性を高める投資」をすべきだと主張しています。
世界で「より少ない農地、水その他の資源で」より多くの生産を行い、飢餓から逃れる必要がある、ということです。
Economists across the world are expressing concern about rising food prices. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization recently released its Food Price Index. The list showed that a number of foods cost more than during the world food crisis of two thousand eight. The index is at its highest level since it began in nineteen ninety.
Demonstrations and deadly food riots have broken out this month, as they did in two thousand eight.
The FAO predicts that world market prices for rice, wheat, barley, sugar and meat will stay high or continue rising. One reason for this is the threat of shortages caused by bad weather. Current and recent weather disasters have harmed agriculture and affected prices in several parts of the world.
For example, the current flooding in Australia has done great damage to crops in the usually fertile Queensland area. Chickpea, wheat, sorghum and corn are among the crops affected. Floods also have harmed other vegetables and fruits.
Local agricultural producers report that standing water could destroy up to half of next year’s sugar crop. And economists say prices for the fruits and vegetables could likely increase over the next six months.
The effects on prices from floods last year in Pakistan and China are still being felt.
Last week, Russia extended an earlier ban on wheat exports. Russia acted after heat, drought and wildfires destroyed about a third of its wheat crop last summer. The ban was placed to make sure Russians have enough wheat. The first ban caused worldwide wheat prices climb to last year by almost fifty percent.
In Algeria, the government has reduced taxes after food riots late last year and earlier this month. Among the causes of the riots were price increases for cooking oil and sugar. Several people died in the riots, and hundreds of others were injured.
Food prices are also part of economic problems to blame for the deadly riots in Tunisia.
Shenggen Fan heads the International Food Policy Research Institute from its Washington, DC, office. Mr. Fan says countries must invest in making their farmers more productive. He says the world will need to feed more hungry people with less available land, water and other resources.
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