Thailand's New Rice Policy Could Lead To International Food Price Crisis

[Mr Lee]

This is not good news for the poor in any country but it might also hurt the people of the Philippines even more if the analyst is correct. A program sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is warning of a possible spike in international rice prices, a development that the program's analysts say could have grave implications for countries where access to food is already limited. The analysts are reluctant to make specific predictions about how high the price could rise, but they say they worry that the increase could be significant. Thailand occupies a key position in the complex web of dependencies that make up the global food economy. It supplies 30 percent of the world's rice exports, more than any other country. The dependence on Thai rice is particularly heavy in West Africa, where most countries consume more rice than they produce. The complete story HERE