The director of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), José Graziano da Silva, supports the creation of national food reserves to ensure food security in situations of escalating prices.
"Prices in agriculture will remain high and will be very volatile in the next 10 years."
Faced with the current situation of high prices in products such as corn and wheat, he asks for "more flexibility" and for corn and oilseeds to stop being used for biofuel production instead of as food supply.
Questioned on whether policies in favour of biofuels should come to an end, he says no, because they will be necessary in the future as soon as "second and third generation" fuels are developed not based on cereals and not competing with food crops.
He puts the South Korean initiative to introduce taxation on futures and derivatives as an example to fight against short term speculation.
"This is the type of speculation we must try to avoid in these times. The goal is not to intervene in the markets, but rather to impose some discipline to prevent speculative behaviour," he explained.
Fuente: Prensalibre