Why+is+'food+security'+sparking+unrest?+-+Izzy

=Why is 'food security' sparking unrest?=
 * CNN: @http://edition.cnn.com/2010/BUSINESS/09/22/un.food.security.poverty/index.html?hpt=C1
 * September 24, 2010
 * Environmental changes and natural disasters have decreased the supply of food. Due to a drought, Russia has banned the export of wheat (which decreases the supply of wheat in the global market), increasing world prices 5%. Prices of food commodities are predicted to be unstable for the next few years. The global population is also increasing. The combination of a decrease in supply (a shift to the right) and an increase in demand (a shift to the left) will increase the price of food. As food gets more expensive, people will not be able to afford it, which may lead to fighting.
 * vocabulary:
 * supply: the entire relationship between the quantity supplied of a good or service and its price
 * supply curve: a graph showing the relationship between the quantity supplied and the price of a good or service, holding everything else constant
 * demand: ...
 * demand curve: ...
 * commodity: ...
 * market: ...


 * [[image:S&D.Food_crisis.png width="320" height="235"]]


 * The article mentions that some countries are beginning to invest in agriculture in order to increase the supply of food. This is helpful, but only addresses half of the supply and demand equation. Countries should also consider the demand for food which is increasing with rising populations. Governments may wish to encourage people to have smaller families. Investment in education (for men, but especially for women) and health care may help reduce or at least slow down the growth in global population, which would decrease the demand for food. Although difficult to make work in the long run, countries may wish to consider a buffer stock scheme, or commodity agreement for the production of wheat.