Investigating the impact of rising food prices

Basic foods are becoming too expensive for many people

Urgent action is being called for to tackle the 'global food crisis'.

The prices of wheat, rice and maize have nearly doubled in the past year and the price of rice has reached record levels.

With rising global food prices there are more and more hungry people around the world.

Documentary film-maker, Barkat Ullah Maruf from Dhaka in Bangladesh, has told Outlook how he has been feeling the pinch during October- due to a combination of religious festivals and his sister's wedding.

Listen Here the Outlook report

What's your experience of the food crisis?

Are you able to buy enough food for you and your family? Is food is short supply where you live? Has your livelihood been affected?

Click to hear Outlook listeners in Cameroon discuss high food prices

Find out how rising prices have affected women in Ivory Coast

Listener Melissa: Rising prices in Jamaica

Melissa in Jamaica says:

"My country is not unaffected by rising prices, not just in food, but in general costs of living. Here in Jamaica, the price of basic staples, such as rice and flour, have risen by over 40 percent. The government has responded with a campaign to eat what we grow and grow what we eat, but with the costs of inputs such as fertilisers and seeds also increasing, I fear this may be a little too late. Grocery shopping now has become the art of stretching one's dollar."

Listen Hear Melissa's audio diary, which she recorded with a bit of help from reporter Nick Davis (Dur:4.26)

Someone who wishes to remain anonymous says:

"Responding to your excellent coverage of the world food crisis, I wonder why nobody but nobody talks about over population, the one factor that drives just about any environmental or human problem you can think of. As the authors of "The Population Bomb" pointed out in the 1960s, there are limits to how many billions of people the earth can support. The time to recognise and act on this fact is way over due. The media could play a vital role in changing individual attitudes and behaviour."

Arnaud Emmanuel Ntirenganya from Cameroon emailed Outlook to say:

"Ordinary people are facing lots difficulties in buying basic commodities like bread, rice, cooking oil and salt just to name a few...I am very sure that many families in Cameroon eat only once a day...I have forgotten the taste of things like wine and milk, sugar, eggs and coffee."

Jofy Joseph in Bahrain emailed to say:

"Food price hikes are a natural result of neglecting agriculture. There's no other way, no solution but to increase production.

In most countries we can see areas of land which are not utilized. If Governments can provide basic facilities like water and electricity these lands can be used for agriculture."

Get in touch and tell Outlook your experiences