关于粮食的英语作文：粮食问题

mostamericanstakefoodforgranted.eventhepoorestfifthofhouseholdsintheunitedstatesspendonly16percentoftheirbudgetonfood.inmanyothercountries,itislessofagiven.nigerianfamiliesspend73percentoftheirbudgetstoeat,vietnamese65percent,indonesianshalf.theyareintrouble.

lastyear,thefoodimportbillofdevelopingcountriesroseby25percentasfoodpricesrosetolevelsnotseeninageneration.corndoubledinpriceoverthelasttwoyears.wheatreacheditshighestpricein28years.theincreasesarealreadysparkingunrestfromhaititoegypt.manycountrieshaveimposedpricecontrolsonfoodortaxesonagriculturalexports.

lastweek,thepresidentoftheworldbank,robertzoellick,warnedthat33nationsareatriskofsocialunrestbecauseoftherisingpricesoffood.“forcountrieswherefoodcomprisesfromhalftothree-quartersofconsumption,thereisnomarginforsurvival,”hesaid.

pricesareunlikelytodropsoon.theunitednationsfoodandagricultureorganizationsaysworldcerealstocksthisyearwillbethelowestsince1982.

theunitedstatesandotherdevelopedcountriesneedtostepuptotheplate.theriseinfoodpricesispartlybecauseofuncontrollableforces—includingrisingenergycostsandthegrowthofthemiddleclassinchinaandindia.thishasincreaseddemandforanimalprotein,whichrequireslargeamountsofgrain.

buttherichworldisexacerbatingtheseeffectsbysupportingtheproductionofbiofuels.theinternationalmonetaryfundestimatesthatcornethanolproductionintheunitedstatesaccountedforatleasthalftheriseinworldcorndemandineachofthepastthreeyears.thiselevatedcornprices.feedpricesrose.sodidpricesofothercrops—mainlysoybeans—asfarmersswitchedtheirfieldstocorn,accordingtotheagriculturedepartment.

washingtonprovidesasubsidyof51centsagallontoethanolblendersandslapsatariffof54centsagallononimports.intheeuropeanunion,mostcountriesexemptbiofuelsfromsomegastaxesandslapanaveragetariffequaltomorethan70centsagallonofimportedethanol.thereareseveralreasonstoputanendtotheseinterventions.atbest,cornethanoldeliversonlyasmallreductioningreenhousegasescomparedwithgasoline.anditcouldmakethingsfarworseifitleadstomorefarminginforestsandgrasslands.risingfoodpricesprovideanurgentargumenttonixethanol’ssupports.overthelongterm,agriculturalproductivitymustincreaseinthedevelopingworld.

mr.zoellicksuggestedrichcountriescouldhelpfinancea“greenrevolution”toincreasefarmproductivityandraisecropyieldsinafrica.buttheriseinfoodpricescallsfordevelopednationstoprovidemoreimmediateassistance.lastmonth,theworldfoodprogramsaidrisinggraincostsblewaholeofmorethan$500millioninitsbudgetforhelpingmillionsofvictimsofhungeraroundtheworld.industrialnationsarenotgenerous,unfortunately.overseasaidbyrichcountriesfell8.4percentlastyearfrom.developednationswouldhavetoincreasetheiraidbudgetsby35percentoverthenextthreeyearsjusttomeetthecommitmentstheymadein.

theymustnotletthistargetslip.continuedgrowthofthemiddleclassinchinaandindia,thepushforrenewablefuelsandanticipateddamagetoagriculturalproductioncausedbyglobalwarmingmeanthatfoodpricesarelikelytostayhigh.millionsofpeople,mainlyindevelopingcountries,couldneedaidtoavoidmalnutrition.richcountries’energypolicieshelpedcreatetheproblem.nowthosecountriesshouldhelpsolveit.