Source: CCTV.com

05-12-2008 18:40

Moderator: Yang Rui

Victoria Sekitoleko, FAO Representative in China

William Hess, Greater China manager for Global Insight in Beijing

Rice is the staple food for more than half the world’s population.

While the rising food prices, described as a silent Tsunami, have generated poverty for millions of people over the past six months, World Bank president Robert Zoellick says demand for ethanol and other biofuels is a significant contributor to soaring food prices around the world. The US believes the increased demand for better nutrition in India and China pushes up the global food prices.

Who should take the blame for the world’s growing food prices? Can we associate the food shortage to the climate change and the rise in raw material prices such as oil and gas?

 

Editor:Du Xiaodan