BBC Learning English
Words in the News
22nd

June 2011

Food price warning

Words in the News

© British Broadcasting Corporation 2011

Page 1 of 2

bbclearningenglish.com

The world faces "a century of hunger" if the international community cannot agree on new

rules regarding food prices, the French agriculture minister, Bruno Le Maire, has warned.

He says it is vital for the world's 20 richest nations to come to an agreement on tackling food

prices. Nigel Cassidy reports.

With global food prices up 40% on average since last summer, there's a new consensus

among the leading nations that they should act together not only to try and secure supplies but

to curb some of the causes of the volatility, not just in commodity trading but on the streets

as essential foods become unaffordable for some.

The G20 nations hope to calm food markets by agreeing greater transparency in how much

dairy, grain, rice or other foodstuffs each country is producing.

Now strong demand for farm foods seem likely to push up prices for years to come but

President Sarkozy also blames speculators for price hikes which have fuelled unrest in the

Middle East and North Africa but his demand for curbs on investors taking positions in food

commodities seem unlikely to get majority support.

But another idea that may not get traction in Paris is a plan for countries to hold, say, grain or

rice stocks in reserve. An idea seen as a throwback to the days when countries and not

farmers controlled their own food production.

Nigel Cassidy, BBC News

Words in the News

© British Broadcasting Corporation 2011

Page 2 of 2

bbclearningenglish.com

Vocabulary and definitions

consensus

an opinion that all members of a group agree with

to curb

to control or limit

volatility

suddenly and unexpected changes in price

commodity trading

buying or selling a product or raw material, especially

between countries

transparency

openness, to remove any secrecy

foodstuffs

substances that are used as food

speculators

people who buy and sell goods or shares in a company in

the hope of making a profit

price hikes

sudden increases in the price of goods

fuelled unrest

increased an uneasy or troubled situation

a throwback

a situation that is similar to something that existed in the

past

More on this story:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13871035

Read and listen to the story and the vocabulary online:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2011/06/110622_witn_food_prices_page.shtml