The 2008 Indonesian food riots and U.S. biofuel policy

Indonesian Riots 2008

Recently, in January of 2008, the country of Indonesia experienced a series of riots that dramatically threatened the hard-won political stability of the nation. The concern of the rioters was simple and poignant -- food. Rising soybean prices, a staple of the Indonesian people, has left many individuals facing a hungry future. These riots are a reminder that, however desperate the United States economy may seem, in nations where food insecurity is a constant threat the recession will hit far harder and create far more desperate conditions. Furthermore, the United States, many allege, has played a critical role in creating the food shortages that caused the Indonesian protest. Increased demand for fossil fuels have caused a corresponding increase in food transport costs. The U.S.'s subsidization of biofuel production has also been blamed for the price hikes. As the U.S. government subsidizes farmers to raise corn for biofuels, this means that less land and resources can be diverted to other crops, such as soybeans, that would create a sustainable food source.

Even though prices of fuel are going down, the problem of world hunger still remains. Also, the question of how to solve the world's energy crisis raises troubling questions about biofuels, which may benefit U.S. farmers but may hurt some of the poorest individuals living around the world.