The price of wheat has risen by 130% in a year, and rice has shot up by 74%. Millions of the world's poorest people are now facing starvation.
Gordon Brown, the U.K. prime minister, has called for international action. Writing on the Downing Street website, he said, "The World Health Organization views hunger as the number-one threat to public health across the world, responsible for a third of child deaths. Tackling hunger is a moral challenge to each of us."