Lugar points to good and bad on food price

WASHINGTON, March 9 (UPI) -- A global spike in food prices is fomenting unrest in the Middle East, though U.S. farmers could lead an economic recovery back home, an Indiana lawmaker said.

"During the past week, international food prices have risen at a rate faster than ever," said U.S. Sen. Dick Lugar, R-Ind., in a statement. "This is causing political unrest across the world, especially in the volatile Middle East, where conflict has led to higher gasoline prices for most Americans."

Demonstrators complaining about the high cost of living were able to bring about regime change in Tunisia and Egypt, causing a wave of dissent to splash over much of North Africa and the Middle East.

Lugar said there are nearly 1 billion people in the world who don't have access to adequate food supplies and most of those live on less than 50 cents a day.

"As we have already seen in places like Tunisia and Egypt, the lack of food, or skyrocketing prices for staples, can help foment civil unrest," he said.

Lugar, the ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, said his Senate colleagues were monitoring these events closely.

He made the case, however, that farmers and livestock producers in the United States could help lead an economic recovery.

"Every farm community will benefit from this incredible economic opportunity, as will all trade, transportation, manufacturing and financial businesses connected to farming," he said.