Endless Appetites

How to understand the twenty-first century food crisis Since 2007, farm-product prices have rocketed and plunged, causing hunger, malnutrition, and social and political upheaval around the world. Endless Appetites explores how "e;food security,"e; the availability of food and the reasonable ability to buy it, has become one of the most challenging topics of our time. With every jump in grocery-store prices, the issue becomes more and more pressing, proven by this year's record increase in food prices, which has already topped the spike of 2008. Award-winning commodities reporter Alan Bjerga explains the food crisis and why it is happening in an accessible, articulate manner Why is this happening when more food is being grown than ever? Why are crop markets?first established in the 1800's to help stabilize agricultural commodity prices?acting like an investors' casino, with prices absorbed by rich nations taking food from the mouths of the poor? From college campuses to emergency UN meetings, "e;food security"e; is one of the hottest topics of the day, with no shortage of interest in how to stabilize food prices worldwide to close the hunger gap To understand the growing international food crisis, readers need an expert they can rely on. One of the most widely acclaimed journalists on food security, Alan Bjerga is up to the task, taking readers from the trading floor of Chicago to the highlands of East Africa to the rice paddies of Thailand on a global trek to find the causes of the food-price crisis?and the solutions.

How to understand the twenty-first century food crisisSince 2007, farm-product prices have rocketed and plungedcausing hunger, malnutrition, and social and political upheavalaround the world. Endless Appetites explores how "foodsecurity," the availability of food and the reasonable ability tobuy it, has become one of the most challenging topics of our time.With every jump in grocery-store prices, the issue becomes more andmore pressing, proven by this year's record increase in foodprices, which has already topped the spike of 2008.* Award-winning commodities reporter Alan Bjerga explains thefood crisis and why it is happening in an accessible, articulatemanner* Why is this happening when more food is being grown thanever?* Why are crop markets?first established in the 1800's to helpstabilize agricultural commodity prices?acting like an investors'casino, with prices absorbed by rich nations taking food from themouths of the poor?* From college campuses to emergency UN meetings, "food security"is one of the hottest topics of the day, with no shortage ofinterest in how to stabilize food prices worldwide to close thehunger gapTo understand the growing international food crisis, readersneed an expert they can rely on. One of the most widely acclaimedjournalists on food security, Alan Bjerga is up to the task, takingreaders from the trading floor of Chicago to the highlands of EastAfrica to the rice paddies of Thailand on a global trek to find thecauses of the food-price crisis?and the solutions.

Author's Note viiiPrologue xiCHAPTER 1: Floors, Fields, and Famines 1CHAPTER 2: Chicago Makes a Market 13CHAPTER 3: Elephants in the Kiddie Pool 25CHAPTER 4: A Recipe for Famine 39CHAPTER 5: The View from Rome 51CHAPTER 6: Hot Air 65CHAPTER 7: Promise 79CHAPTER 8: The Price of a Cup of Coffee 97CHAPTER 9: A Better Banana 113CHAPTER 10: Thai Quality 131CHAPTER 11: Steps Up 147CHAPTER 12: Harvest of Hope 159Notes 169Acknowledgments 189About the Author 191Index 193