Alopecia Areata Barbae Home Treatment

RAW / 80 countries into deficit - The specter of another food crisis

Today, as in 2008, there is no shortage, "said Olivier De Schutter, for whom" the reality of stocks and changes in market prices is sometimes substantial "because of negative information that accumulate on crops, such as fires in Russia, the heat wave in Ukraine or even heavy rain in Canada. "Some market participants prefer not to sell immediately, while buyers seeking to buy as much as possible. If everyone did that, prices go up, "said the UN official. In addition, he said, the increase in biofuel production only amplifies this phenomenon. United States, says Mr. De Schutter, the share of corn production for ethanol in 2011 will be 38.3%, against 30.7% in 2008. "In the current context, says he is completely irresponsible to go on! He believes that all cereals, world stocks will be 427 million in 2011, down from 63 Mt compared to 2009 due to over two-thirds in the United States and the European Union. "That's when stocks are smaller. And it is mainly due to product diversification of grain to biofuels, "he says.

a purely speculative

For Mr. De Schutter, the problem is the liberalization of markets for derivatives that have longer catalyst to unite Seller safe from low prices and allow the buyer to protect themselves against high prices. Today, the official said, investors who operate through funds across all commodity markets are not agricultural specialists. Index funds that invest in agriculture do only up to 5 to 10% of their portfolio, without addressing the quality of the crops of the main supplying countries. "The bubble that derivatives markets have a tendency to form product, adverse effects for operators in the markets physical, "said De Schutter.

Hazardous weather

Moreover, for the FAO economist responsible for monitoring the cereals sector, Abdolreza Abbassian, "the grain situation is not as critical in 2007/2008, but according him "the most serious consequences" are not excluded in the coming months, according to climate. The unpredictable weather, affecting crops in many producing countries, fueling the soaring prices. Floods in Australia have "seriously degraded the quality of cereals," says analyst Agritel, who expects an explosion in wheat prices around 300 euros per tonne this year. "We're moving so early this year 2011 to a continued rise in the prices of agricultural raw materials, also fueled by rising Chinese demand is not fading and by fears of looming drought now on Argentina "warns Agritel. In Algeria, after several days of deadly riots due to soaring prices of basic foodstuffs, the government announced a temporary exemption of 23% of the burden on importers of oil and sugar. For its part, Libya has decided to eliminate all taxes on food products.

Photo: Africa was particularly affected by rising food prices in 2008. In Senegal, President Wade announced an improvement in agricultural production.

---

Three trails to explore by O. De Schutter
1 - replenish food stocks to smooth prices. Reservations must be managed at regional level between countries that ensure each other against the risk of a sudden crop failure.
2 - limit the number of futures positions. A second track that the U.S. begin to implement and which is to limit the number of futures positions that an institutional investor can hold on a single commodity.
3 - greater transparency. This refers to the third runway project by Michel Barnier, European Commissioner for Internal Market, Today, 92% of transactions on the derivatives markets are held in the most complete opacity.




http://www.paysan-breton.fr/article/11467/matieres-premieres--80-pays-en-situation-de-deficit.html