Increases in corn prices causes difficulties for developing nations
Hannah Tomlin
Issue date: 10/16/07 Section: News
Some people, such as members of environmental groups, green groups and aid agencies believe this is having a much larger impact on starvation. They are arguing that fueling cars with crops is putting the starving people of the world in competition with motorists. They are also blaming biofuels for, in part, forming the poor harvests, rising oil prices, increases in demand for food from China and India as well as the boosting of prices for other food products.
"There is an awful lot of appeal to the idea that if the price of corn doubles, the price of all other foods will, but it's modest," Winter said.
He said that although the price of corn has doubled, the price of pork, cattle or cornflakes will not double along with it.
"If your concern is with the developing countries, there are much better opportunities to provide aid to them than asking them to buy products in the world market," Winter said.
Winter believes the best way to help these citizens is to help them improve their own agricultural productivity.
Winter said it would be most efficient to help these people develop their infrastructure, management practices and teach them how to grow crops.
Although Winter believes "helping their agriculture is the real key to helping those countries," he mentioned that this is much easier said than done.
"There is an awful lot of appeal to the idea that if the price of corn doubles, the price of all other foods will, but it's modest," Winter said.
He said that although the price of corn has doubled, the price of pork, cattle or cornflakes will not double along with it.
"If your concern is with the developing countries, there are much better opportunities to provide aid to them than asking them to buy products in the world market," Winter said.
Winter believes the best way to help these citizens is to help them improve their own agricultural productivity.
Winter said it would be most efficient to help these people develop their infrastructure, management practices and teach them how to grow crops.
Although Winter believes "helping their agriculture is the real key to helping those countries," he mentioned that this is much easier said than done.
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