The three U.N. food agencies urged governments Tuesday to take
quick action to curb rising prices of corn, wheat and soybeans
and avoid a repeat of the 2007-2008 food crises. The sharp rise
in food prices in recent months threatens to make life even more
difficult for tens of millions of people, particularly in poor
countries, the heads of the U.N. World Food Program, Food and
Agriculture Organization and International Fund for Agriculture
Development warned. A prolonged drought in the U.S. - the No. 1
exporter of corn, wheat and soybeans - has helped drive up
commodity prices. The FAO's next global food price index is due
Thursday; its last report found global prices had risen six
percent in July after three months of decline, in part because
of the U.S. drought and worsened crop prospects for Russia's
wheat harvest because of dry weather. The three agencies urged
countries to avoid panic buying and refrain from imposing export
restrictions when production falls, saying that while it may
temporarily help con