The role of food prices in the Syrian crisis, and the way forward
Tuesday, October 27, 2015 - 05:00
in Mathematics & Economics
The disintegration of Syria and Europe's refugee crisis are only the latest tragic consequences of two spikes in food prices in 2007/08 and 2010/11 that triggered waves of global unrest, including the Arab Spring. Researchers at the New England Complex Systems Institute (NECSI) have traced these spikes and spiraling crises to their root causes: deregulated commodity markets, financial speculation, and a misguided U.S. corn-to-ethanol fuel policy that removes nearly 5 billion bushels of corn from markets each year. With world food prices currently in retreat, now is the time to changes policies.