Alexandria, Egypt

On 17-19 April the GSI held its Middle East/North Africa Regional Media Forum in Alexandria, Egypt. The forum focused on food security, and the role that government biofuel policies were having in driving up food prices.

Journalists from across the Middle East heard from a variety of regional and international experts, on the factors that were contributing to sky-rocketing food prices. One of the key reasons is the expanding production and consumption of biofuels, spurred by subsidies and mandates in Europe and North America, which have been documented in the GSI’s research. The Forum also allowed journalists to develop investigative story ideas on the links between subsidies and sustainable development, with the help of experts and senior journalists in the region.

Presentations:

Understanding the crisis of soaring international food prices
This presentation by Maurice Saade, a Policy Officer with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, charts the historical trends that have led to higher food prices, and predicts what future trends may occur.

Placing the food-price crisis in the context of global economic trends
This presentation by Horst Siebert, Professor of Economics at the Johns Hopkins University Bologna Center, examines the rising cost of food in the context of global economic trends. It explains some of the fundamental causes of higher food prices, and suggests remedies.