Disastrous news for those hit by ....disaster

Let them eat cake!

World market prices for wheat are following prices for corn into the stratosphere, as floods in China in addition to a few other places such as Wisconsin, drought in Canada, and weather disasters in almost all of the areas best for wheat crops, make huge inroads into our staple food.

Wheat prices have hit record highs on global commodity markets, bringing the threat of rising bread prices.

Bad weather in key grain growing areas such as Canada and parts of Europe has limited supplies as demand has risen, sparking fears of a supply shortfall.

Surging prices are also expected to have widespread fallout for consumers.

While it will mean higher bread prices, it could also trigger an increase in meat and dairy prices as farmers battle to pass on rising feed costs.

Global wheat stockpiles will slip to their lowest levels in 26 years as a result, official US figures predicted earlier this month.
(snip)
A World Food Programme spokesman said the increases could mean its budget would not stretch far enough to help those affected by natural disasters.

It's far from ironic that those affected by natural disasters are in trouble from their many disasters. This all reminds me of the outpouring of racial tensions that has made Darfur the poster child for genocide - tensions that are partly due to increasing shortages of food to spread among the several populations of different backgrounds.

A tightening supply of food is very bad news for an already needy world with tensions enough to go around without this latest push.