The world’s food problem is already severe as prices jump and protectionism flares, but a food security expert says there is a good chance governments can stop it from getting way worse if they heed a lesson from the crisis in 2008: do not panic.
With a gauge of global prices already at a record following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a spate of nations have moved to curb exports in crops from wheat and sugar to cooking oils, exacerbating security risks for the rest of the world. Bad weather is a concern, too. Still, while wheat, corn and soy have soared, rice, a staple for more than 3 billion people, has so far been more stable.
