Food Prices to Rise, Global Warming to Blame

Global warming is the cause of everything. Just the other day, we noted divorce and bagpipes caused environmental damage, now food prices will rise because of the weather. Of course the fact prices naturally rise over time has nothing to do with it.

Food prices are set to rise around the globe after years of decline, with climate change making it harder for the world's poorest to get adequate food, according to a report released Tuesday.

Rising global temperatures as well as growing food consumption in rapidly developing countries such as China and India are pressuring the world food system, meaning that food prices will rise for the foreseeable future, according to the International Food Policy Research Institute.

Joachim von Braun, the director of the Washington-based research group, said food prices have been in a declining trend since scientists began developing high-yield plant varieties decades ago, "but the days of falling food prices may be over."

"The last time the world experienced such food price increases was in 1973 to 1974 ... but today the situation is completely different. For one, the climate risk and climate change situation has increased, the climate vulnerability has increased," von Braun told reporters in Beijing.

The institute said in a report that hunger and malnutrition could rise as poor agricultural communities most sensitive to the environment, such as in Africa, are hurt. Dependency on food imports will also increase as cereal yields decline in those countries.

Greater demand for food by the world's growing population as well as increased energy costs, which affect the price of everything, are more likely factors. But why address those when you have global warming hysteria to pound over our heads?