The cost of living is very much in the news these days due to the escalation of prices of several commodities. Although many are inclined to think that it is solely a local phenomenon, the truth is that it is a global one. Both developing and developed countries are affected by this trend but it is the former group that suffers most. In fact, the Head of the UN Food Agency has stated that many poor people are unable to get enough food because of soaring prices partly caused by the use of food crops to produce bio-fuels.

The driver to use corn, sugarcane and other crops to produce bio-fuels has led to less grain being available for food, driving up prices for basic food in many countries. ?We?re seeing more people hungry and a greater numbers than before,? Josette Sheeran, executive director of the World Food Program (WFP), has said. Higher oil prices are contributing to steeper food prices by boosting transport costs and severe weather is hitting many countries and hurting crop output.

In a way this is a paradoxical situation. Bio-fuels have been described as ?saviour? for the poorer countries which depend on oil imports. Ironically, the use of crops for bio-fuels has had a negative effect in the end, in the form of rising food prices.

Higher crude oil prices are another factor that most countries cannot control, as the prices are dictated by OPEC. Mauritius? fuel import bill is staggering and subsidies add a heavy burden to government budget. Every time fuel prices increase, transport costs and hence, food prices go up.

Weather is yet another factor over which we have no control. Floods, droughts destroy crops, creating a shortage, which drives up prices. A shortage of arable lands, which are increasingly being used for construction purposes, has contributed to this status quo.This is an alarming situation in terms of food security.

Again, poor countries in Africa and Asia will suffer the most. Incidentally, high economic growth has also been cited as a cause for the food price hike. Joachim Von Braun, director general of the International Food Policy Research Institute in Washington, has cited rising demand from high economic growth as a prime reason. The soaring population, coupled with an increased demand for food in a highly competitive environment can only make matters worse.

But is there a solution? Economists have argued that food shortages could be eased by keeping borders open to trade, increasing global research in agriculture open to trade, increasing global research in agriculture and creating special programmes to feed more young children.

Mauritius is among developing countries, which have implemented the latter solution successfully. It also would help if bio-fuel makers focused on using plants that aren?t good for food as anything with cellulose can be used for such fuels.

Keeping borders open to trade will be essential to ease inequities. High import tariffs imposed on food from the Third World stifle the former?s economic growth. We have heard of ?butter mountains? in affluent countries. What this illustrates is the massive waste of food in some rich countries. Such waste has to be eliminated.

Waste is a problem in Mauritius as well. Many fruits and vegetables go waste in the post-harvest phase due to lack of proper transport and storage facilities. A mechanism should be evolved to reduce such losses and conserve fruits and vegetables for use outside the respective ?seasons?.

Technology should be used to bring down food prices. If genetic modifications and other technologies help us achieve this goal without harming nature itself, the world will see much less hunger.