Stabroek Business columnist Karen Abrams looks at how some countries in the hemisphere are responding to global food price rises

Latin America and Caribbean countries struggle to head off rising poverty, indigence & malnutrition

A wheat field in Kansas, USAInternational food prices have been rising over the past few years, but price increases have been particularly steep in the past 12 months. Most concerning is the growing cost of corn, wheat, rice and oilseeds, which in some cases has gone up over 100%.

In Guyana Namilco yesterday reported an additional 25% increase in flour prices up now around 45% since January, minibus drivers propose a 25% increase in fares, prices for corn dependent food; poultry, milk, eggs, any food using high fructose corn syrups like sodas, juices, almost any food product produced in the United States have all been impacted by the demand for corn-ethanol , rising gas prices and according to Brazilian’s President Lula, “the world was not ready to see millions of Chinese eat, millions of Indians, Brazilians and Latin Americans eat three times a day”.