If we don’t slash biofuels and trade tariffs, millions more will starve

IF YOU do the weekly shopping, think back a few months. You noticed the prices of some staples, particularly bread, were rocketing, right? And how did you react? You shrugged. At most, you probably cursed the supermarkets under your breath. The last thing you felt like doing was rioting.

That’s because, in rich countries like Ireland, food represents a tiny percentage — maybe just 10% on average — of our total expenditure. We barely notice a few cents here or there.

In the developing world, it’s a different matter. Haiti’s prime minister has been forced to resign. Violent food protests have erupted across north and west Africa and as far away as the Philippines. Even the leaders of normally stable democratic states fear for their political systems. The head of the International Monetary Fund is prophesying wars.