SEOUL, April 29 (Bernama) -- The world's crop farming is facing a serious challenge due to climate change and there is a prediction that the global grain shortage will last for the next 10 years, Yonhap news agency reported.
According to climate experts, the average temperature of the earth's surface has risen by 0.6 degree Celsius since 1970 and will rise another 6 degrees during the 21st century.
A rise of 1 degree in average temperature would decrease the harvest of rice, corn and wheat by 10 percent.
While the world's grain production dropped substantially, demand for crops has steadily risen due to the rise of income standards in developing countries and expanded consumption of crops to produce alternative energy sources, boosting international crop prices.
The price of corn skyrocketed 70 percent in 2010 while that of beans rose 50 percent. Wheat prices surged to their highest level in 30 months.
As a result, the food price index (FPI) of the United Nations Food Agriculture Organization went up for the seventh consecutive month in January to a record high of 231, surpassing the previous high of 224.1 set at the height of the global food crisis in June 2008.
The increase in international grain prices rings an alarming bell for South Korea, which remains especially vulnerable to price volatility in international markets as it depends heavily on imports of grains for domestic supplies.
Korea's annual grain imports reached 14 million tonnes, the fifth-largest among world countries. What makes us seriously think about the rise in grain prices is the possibility of a global war over food that will threaten our "food security."
Major food-supplying countries are moving to curb grain exports in a bid to secure sufficient supplies amid rising demand and prices.
Russia and Ukraine completely or partially ban exports of some grains.
Arabic countries are rushing to import wheats while Indonesia also began emergency imports of rice in order to increase its rice stockpile.
Our nation's self-supply ratio of food grains remains at 54.9 percent and that of all grains, including those for animal feed and industrial use, is 26 percent, the lowest level among member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
The government is preparing various measures to secure stable supply of grains such as legislation of a law to promote farming in foreign countries, and establishing a global grain distribution company.
The measures, however, are deemed to be insufficient in case of contingencies when grain-supplying countries use the products as a weapon.
The government is advised to diversify its import sources of grains as it did for crude oil imports during the world crude crisis. It is also required to increase stockpiles of grains and support agricultural investments in Korea and in foreign countries to increase production.
According to climate experts, the average temperature of the earth's surface has risen by 0.6 degree Celsius since 1970 and will rise another 6 degrees during the 21st century.
A rise of 1 degree in average temperature would decrease the harvest of rice, corn and wheat by 10 percent.
While the world's grain production dropped substantially, demand for crops has steadily risen due to the rise of income standards in developing countries and expanded consumption of crops to produce alternative energy sources, boosting international crop prices.
The price of corn skyrocketed 70 percent in 2010 while that of beans rose 50 percent. Wheat prices surged to their highest level in 30 months.
As a result, the food price index (FPI) of the United Nations Food Agriculture Organization went up for the seventh consecutive month in January to a record high of 231, surpassing the previous high of 224.1 set at the height of the global food crisis in June 2008.
The increase in international grain prices rings an alarming bell for South Korea, which remains especially vulnerable to price volatility in international markets as it depends heavily on imports of grains for domestic supplies.
Korea's annual grain imports reached 14 million tonnes, the fifth-largest among world countries. What makes us seriously think about the rise in grain prices is the possibility of a global war over food that will threaten our "food security."
Major food-supplying countries are moving to curb grain exports in a bid to secure sufficient supplies amid rising demand and prices.
Russia and Ukraine completely or partially ban exports of some grains.
Arabic countries are rushing to import wheats while Indonesia also began emergency imports of rice in order to increase its rice stockpile.
Our nation's self-supply ratio of food grains remains at 54.9 percent and that of all grains, including those for animal feed and industrial use, is 26 percent, the lowest level among member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
The government is preparing various measures to secure stable supply of grains such as legislation of a law to promote farming in foreign countries, and establishing a global grain distribution company.
The measures, however, are deemed to be insufficient in case of contingencies when grain-supplying countries use the products as a weapon.
The government is advised to diversify its import sources of grains as it did for crude oil imports during the world crude crisis. It is also required to increase stockpiles of grains and support agricultural investments in Korea and in foreign countries to increase production.
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