The Changing Face of World Hunger

LONDON, April 22, 2008 — -- The silent tsunami of hunger now affecting millions may be the toughest hurdle in the 45-year history of the World Food Program, its executive director told a room full of journalists today.

"The world misery index is rising," Josette Sheeran said.

"We are seeing a new face of hunger -- up to 100 million people, many in urban areas, are now on the list of hungry nations, many of these people are being priced out of the food markets."

Biofuels and European Union-friendly policies toward their production have also resulted in less available land for producing food because more and more fields are being used to grow crops meant for alternative fuels.

Biofuel production is a profitable business, but not everyone is happy about its effects on already-dwindling food supplies.

Many Latin American leaders, including Bolivia's left-wing President Evo Morales, have been highly critical of this practice.

Talking to reporters Monday at a United Nations forum on the effects of climate change on indigenous people, Morales said that some South American presidents "did not fully understand what they were talking about" when it comes to biofuel production.

Biofuels Versus Food

The fast-paced growth of developing economies such as India's and China's has been driving the demand for biofuels and underpinning the spike in food prices, which, Sheeran said, is not necessarily a bad thing.

"Part of this is good news," she told ABC News. "The kind of development that we've seen in India and China and frankly in more than 10 African nations that have had growth rates of more than 10 percent is driving increased demand for better food, and this is natural and it's good news."

The challenge, Sheeran said, is for the World Food Program and other aid organizations to step up the supply to meet these demands and ensure that affordable food reaches the most vulnerable in the world.

Many farmers like those in the Great Rift Valley, which extends from Asia to Africa, have simply stopped planting crops because of the rising cost of resources. Fertilizer, which is oil-based, has increased so much in price that farmers can no longer afford the materials that are vital to harvesting food, which is having a devastating effect on the chain of agriculture.