World wide, the supply and the price of staple foods such as rice, corn, and wheat have diverged dramatically, with the supply expected to remain constrained and the price high for the foreseeable future.[1] The president of the World Bank, Robert Zoellick, notes that since 2005, the price of staples world wide has risen 80%, and the price of rice is at a 19 year high.[2] Unlike past price peaks however, this is not expected to subside. In the Philippines rice prices have risen over 40% since January,[3] and national GDP growth is expected to slow by at least 1% as a consequence.[4] Coupled with rising inflation, this paints a grim picture of a slow moving disaster in a nation that is the world’s number one rice importer. The likelihood of wide-spread unrest and violence is high, according to a leader of a non-governmental organization (NGO) engaged in development activities in southern Philippines. Meanwhile, direct aid to compensate for shortfalls is limited, given high world wide food prices, and low levels of emergency supplies.[5]

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