World Bank joins food price warnings

From Deutsche Welle :

 

World Bank President Robert Zoellick has called on member nations to act urgently to help avert a global food crisis, saying the rapid rise in food prices could push 100 million people in poor countries deeper into poverty. His warning follows that from the leader of the International Monetary Fund, who said hundreds of thousands of people are at risk of starvation. Steering committees from the two bodies have been meeting in Washington. There have been food riots recently in a number of countries, including Haiti, the Philippines and Egypt. Zoellick called for a "new deal" to tackle the international food crisis. Food prices have risen sharply in recent months, driven by increased demand, poor weather in some countries that has ruined crops and an increase in the use of land to grow crops for transport fuels.