Bush attributes rising food prices to India’s middle class; Congress: India is a net food exporter; Bush also calls for increased ethanol use
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Whatsapp
  • Linkedin
  • Print

    • US President George Bush attributed rising food prices to India’s burgeoning middle class. Domestic political parties have reacted strongly to Bush’s assertions with the Congress noting that it was a “completely erroneous” analysis and pointed out that India was a net food exporter. The CPI(M) on its part charged that the food crisis was a result of “the diversion of food grains for bio-fuels by America1.”

    Senior scientists at CGIAR (Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research), a global network that uses science to alleviate hunger, meanwhile have called for a halt to food based bio-fuel production in order to stem the global rise in food prices. According to them, putting a moratorium on corn etc.-based ethanol would cut global food prices by 20 per cent. President Bush on the other hand has urged the opposite and declared that the United States should increase ethanol use to meet energy security goals and high gas prices2.

    Alternative sources of energy were also the focus of the annual session of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) held in Bangkok during the week. Countries of the Asia-Pacific reached an agreement to boost their collaboration on developing renewable energy in a bid to decrease reliance on fossil fuels and enhance their long-term energy security. Representatives from 50 countries attended the session, which also adopted resolutions on boosting resilience to disasters, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and decided on eight anti-poverty targets to be met by 20153.

    Top