Australian food expert claims shift in global food demand and supply

An Australian food expert has claimed that there is a major shift in the demand and supply of food on the planet, with a complex mix of factors simultaneously boosting demand and constraining supply meaning the recent price surges might continue for some time.

"There is a structural shift in the demand and supply balance of food," says Dr Bill Pritchard, a Sydney University economic geographer and food security expert.

"It's a pattern that is going to face us over the coming decades," he said.

Global food prices at record highs and decades of rapid population growth, with the world’s population forecast to hit 7 billion this year, are contributing to the increased pressure on global supply chains.

The push for biofuels - fuel made from plants - is another factor stoking demand. High global energy prices prompted many Western governments to encourage the production of biofuels with a combination of subsidies and mandates.

Government policies, especially restrictions and bans on food exports, have had negative consequences for food availability.

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