On Thursday, March 3, 
 
the United Nations 
 
Food and Agriculture 
 
Organization (FAO) 
 
announced that continued 
 
unprecedented rises for 
 
eight consecutive months 
 
has resulted in February's 
 
levels being the highest 
 
since record-keeping 
 
began 20 years ago. 
 
Reasons behind the steep 
 
increases are thought to 
 
include ongoing adverse 
 
weather conditions 
 
due to climate change, 
 
such as in Canada where 
 
rising temperatures have 
 
significantly reduced 
 
wheat production, 
 
in China following 
 
severe droughts, 
 
and Russia after 
 
the catastrophic 
 
heat wave and fires. 
 
Other factors include 
 
higher oil prices, which 
 
affect food production 
 
and transportation 
 
and internal conflicts 
 
as well as disasters 
 
that spur governments 
 
and individuals 
 
to stockpile staples. 
 
With the FAO forecasting 
 
continued rises 
 
for the rest of the year, 
 
fears of an unfolding 
 
food shortage crisis 
 
are being raised. 
 
Highlighting
 
the seriousness of 
 
the situation and the need 
 
for actions such as 
 
curbing market 
 
speculation and 
 
food-based biofuels, 
 
Oxfam's food policy 
 
adviser Thierry Kesteloot 
 
stated, “Millions more 
 
people are sliding 
 
into poverty as they 
 
struggle to afford 
 
basic food supplies. 
 
A sit-and-wait attitude 
 
among governments 
 
in the hope that there 
 
will be good harvests 
 
over the next few months 
 
means gambling 
 
with people's lives.” 
 
We are thankful for the 
 
concerned observations 
 
of the United Nations 
 
Food and Agriculture 
 
Organization 
 
in raising awareness 
 
of this global issue. 
 
Our prayers 
 
for the enactment 
 
of sustainable measures 
 
that ensure plentiful 
 
sustenance for all. 
 
Speaking about 
 
the long-term rise 
 
in global food prices 
 
and shortages 
 
during an October 2009 
 
videoconference 
 
in Indonesia, 
 
Supreme Master Ching Hai 
 
expressed concern while 
 
offering a comprehensive 
 
solution.
 
Supreme Master Ching Hai : There are 
 
1.02 billion people 
with not enough food 
 
in the world. 
While we are sitting here 
 
in safety and comfort, 
 
and have sufficient food 
 
for ourselves 
 
and our family, 
our neighboring people, 
 
our world co-citizens, 
more than one billion 
 
of them, 
 
are living in poverty, 
 
in hunger, in thirst. 
 
No sufficient water, 
 
no clean water, 
 
no food to eat. 
 
Children are dying 
 
every few seconds. 
 
Statistically, 
 
every five seconds
 
one child dies of hunger. 
 
Besides, we are facing 
 
a food shortage 
 
with high food prices. 
The most important first step 
 
is to stop buying and 
 
eating meat, fish, eggs, 
 
dairy, and any animal 
 
products for you and 
 
for your family's sake, 
 
for the natural resources' 
 
sake, and 
 
to plant the seeds for a 
 
better agricultural system 
 
for everyone.
 
In this way, not only can 
 
all the farmers prosper - 
 
we help them in this way -
 
but everyone will 
 
prosper and enjoy 
 
a long and thriving life. 
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110303/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_un_food_prices , 
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2011/03/04/World-food-prices-up-for-eighth-month/UPI-42941299220983/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/8359643/Food-prices-to-carry-on-climbing-alll-year.html 
http://www.france24.com/en/20110303-world-food-prices-hit-record-highs-un-food-agency