The links between raising food prices and the word of finance  

First it was oil and gas, then increasing wheat and rice prices made the headlines: Not for the first time financial interests seem to have a profound impact on the daily lives of billions of people. Or what other reasons can explain the present evolution of c prices on the global markets?

Regardless of the reasons for this phenomena, raising rice and wheat prices have serious consequences for many people. This workshop suggests to explore all of those facets and figure out what our role as European youth is in this transformation of the international market for food.   While a doubling of the rice prices within one to two weeks implies only little change for western industrialized societies, its impact is much more crucial and profound in less affluent countries around the globe. Recent riots in Indonesia or Haiti illustrate the seriousness of the problem and how big the gap between rich and poor societies has become.

While economic analysts refer to the deficient management of national agricultural policies , politicians blame speculations in the global stock market and even others the increased consumption of meat in newly industrializing countries to be responsible for the boosting of food prices.   Fact is that according to many specialists global food production could already satisfy the needs of more than 10 billion people, so how come people are still starving to death?  

This workshop will attempt to approach the issue form different perspectives and therefore will introduce you to the opinions of experts from economics, politics, and ethics.

First a financial expert will offer us a general overview of the relation between raising food prices and the world of finance in the era of globalization. Subsequently, a second expert of the Berne Declaration will focus on the deficits of today’s word of finance and present the future challenges as well as on thespecific ways in which young people can contribute their personal effort to their solution.

Finally Barbara Bleisch, an expert in international relations and ethics, who recently published a work on global poverty and ethics will spend some time exploring the moral aspect of this challenge and the responsibility that comes along with profit in the financial sector.