Global Food Crisis

From Kenya's slums to India's rice paddies to Brazil's cafes, the skyrocketing cost of food has left no corner of the globe untouched. A special series by National Geographic News explores the myriad local faces of the world's worst food crisis in decades.

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In Buñol, Spain, residents and tourists pelt each other with more than 200,000 pounds of ripe tomatoes in the annual Tomatina festival.

August 28, 2008
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Millions of dollars have funded research to eradicate the destructive coffee berry borer, and for years, coffee farmers the world over have been battling the pest with insecticides. But a simple solution may already exist in their own backyards: birds.

August 26, 2008
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The Mexican government has grossly undervalued coastal mangrove forests, which are vital to the country's commercial fishing industry, a new report says.

July 21, 2008
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A rapidly expanding economy has proven to be a mixed blessing in Brazil, where the growth has caused food prices to rise much more quickly. Part of Global Food Crisis: A Special News Series.

July 17, 2008
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Egypt is still suffering from riots and violence, despite expensive increases in bread subsidies, export bans, and strict regulation of fuel and utility prices. Part of Global Food Crisis: A Special News Series.

July 16, 2008
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Food prices are creating a vexing dilemma in India, which is trying to cement its status as a rising economic power even as it remains home to half the world's hungry. Part of Global Food Crisis: A Special News Series.

July 15, 2008
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South Africa's poor can lessen the burden of soaring food costs by resuming traditional subsistence agriculture, officials say. Part of Global Food Crisis: A Special News Series.

July 7, 2008
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In another sign of markets gone askew, the number of Italians who prefer pizza has nearly halved since prices started shooting up two years ago. Part of Global Food Crisis: A Special News Series.

June 30, 2008
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Allowing misshapen fruits and vegetables into supermarkets can ease the world food-price crisis, the European Union's farm chief says.

June 26, 2008
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By dissecting the cocoa bean genome, U.S. government scientists backed by a leading candy company aim to safeguard the world's chocolate supply—and possibly make it taste better.

June 26, 2008
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Jatropha, a hardy biofuel plant grown in salty soils near the Indian Ocean, may reduce biofuels' competition with food-producing crops, industry officials say.

June 19, 2008
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Price increases, smaller portions, and supply shortages aren't dulling the appetites of many affluent Europeans. Part of Global Food Crisis: A Special News Series.

June 10, 2008

Government-subsidized shops fueled by record oil revenues are easing the food burden of the poor in politically fragile Venezuela. Part of Global Food Crisis: A Special News Series.

June 9, 2008
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Teff grain now costs nearly three times what it did a year ago, forcing expat Jews in Israel to abandon their traditional injera bread. Part of Global Food Crisis: A Special News Series.

June 5, 2008
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Mexico's iconic flatbreads have become a rallying cry for needy Mexicans angry at the country's biofuels and trade policies. Part of Global Food Crisis: A Special News Series.

June 4, 2008

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