High and volatile agricultural commodity prices are likely to prevail for the rest of this year and into 2012 according to the latest analysis published today in FAO's biannual Food Outlook. The report cites a sharp rundown on inventories and only modest overall production increases for the majority of crops as reasons for continuing strong prices. The next few months will be critical in determining how the major crops will fare this...
More »SEARCH RESULT
Total Matching Records found : 1736
Drugs companies to lower price of vaccines in developing countries by Ben Quinn
Announcement comes ahead of London conference on fundraising for global immunisation programmes A promise to reduce the prices of vaccines in developing countries has been announced by a number of big drug companies, ahead of a conference in London at which political leaders will consider how to raise funds for immunisation. The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (Gavi), set up by Microsoft founder Bill Gates, said yesterday that Serum Institute of...
More »A warming planet struggles to feed itself by Justin Gillis
The dun wheat field spreading out at Ravi P. Singh's feet offered a possible clue to human destiny. Baked by a desert sun and deliberately starved of water, the plants were parched and nearly dead. Dr. Singh, a wheat breeder, grabbed seed heads that should have been plump with the staff of life. His practiced fingers found empty husks. “You're not going to feed the people with that,” he said. But then, over...
More »What the UID project will not do by Vishv Bandhu Gupta
The concept of “a ubiquitous magic plastic” that bring out the unique in a living person has caught the fascination of most of us. An unpopular government sees in it the ability of cutting a long red tape short to correctly identify the genuine citizens in need. The agonised cops of India see in it a great ally to apprehend the much-wanted terrorists, whose biometric data could now be verified...
More »Food crisis? We've enough on our plates by Tim Lang
Yes, food prices are rising but more competition is not the answer — it's time to stop over-consumption. Slowly, surely, a new mixture of consensus and fault lines is emerging about world food. On the one hand, there is agreement we are entering a new era in which basic agricultural commodity prices are rising after decades of falling. This will hit the poorest hardest, as an Oxfam report this week on...
More »
