G20將協調應對糧食價格飆升

G20 countries are to step in to try to co-ordinate a response to surging food prices, after the worst US drought in half a century devastated crops in the biggest agricultural exporter.

20國集團(G20)將採取行動來努力協調各國對糧價飆升的應對。此前，作爲全球第一大農產品出口國的美國遭遇半個世紀以來最嚴重的旱災，導致糧食大幅減產。

Discussions among senior G20 and UN agriculture officials about calling a session of a new emergency forum come after the cost of corn, or maize, surged to an all-time high, surpassing the level seen during the 2007-08 food crisis.

G20與聯合國(UN)負責農業事務的高級官員正在討論召集一個新的應急論壇的會議，原因是玉米價格現已升至歷史高點，超過了2007-08年糧食危機期間的水平。

The US government on Friday stoked fears of a price surge, saying the drought had forced the country's farmers to abandon cornfields covering a larger area than Belgium and Luxembourg combined. The Department of Agriculture slashed its forecast for the crop and predicted record prices over the next year. At the same time, corn futures jumped 3.1 per cent to an all-time high of $8.43¾ before slipping.

上週五美國政府稱，該國農民因旱災被迫放棄的玉米種植區面積超過比利時和盧森堡兩國面積之和。這番言論進一步加深了市場對玉米價格上漲的擔憂情緒。美國農業部(USDA)大幅下調了玉米產量預期，並預言明年玉米價格將繼續創下紀錄高點。與此同時，玉米期貨價格上漲3.1%，至每蒲式耳8.4375美元的歷史最高水平，不過隨後有所回落。

When Barack Obama arrives in corn-growing Iowa for a three-day tour on Monday, he will be entering a fierce debate in the run-up to the presidential election on whether the grain is worth more as food or biofuel.

本週一，美國總統巴拉克•奧巴馬(Barack Obama)將赴玉米種植區愛荷華州進行爲期三天的尋訪。在總統選舉即將到來之際，他將加入到一場關於糧食作爲食品還是作爲生物燃料價值更高的激烈爭論中。

G20 officials plan to hold a conference call in the week of August 27 to discuss the meeting, which could be held in late September or early October, according to four officials familiar with the conversations.

G20官員計劃在8月27日這周召開一次電話會議，就舉行上述會談進行討論。據四名瞭解該會談的官員表示，該會談或將在9月下旬至10月上旬舉行。

Officials emphasised the planned meeting was not a sign of panic. On the contrary, they said, it would be an attempt to avoid the kind of policies – including export restrictions and hoarding – that in 2007-08 transformed a shortage of farm commodities into the first full-blown food crisis in 30 years, with riots in 12 countries.

官員們強調，計劃舉行的會議並不是恐慌信號。恰恰相反，官員們表示此次會議是爲防止出現出口限制和囤積居奇等政策而採取的努力，2007-08年間此類政策使農產品供應不足的局面演化成爲30年來首個全球性糧食危機，導致12個國家發生暴亂。

The meeting would be the first of the Rapid Response Forum, a newly created body to "promote early discussion among decision-level officials about abnormal international market conditions". The forum is part of the G20-backed Agricultural Market Information System, created last year at the initiative of France and seen as a key response to the 2007-08 crisis. Leading G20 countries are "in favour of holding a meeting" as crop conditions deteriorate in the US, one of the officials said.

計劃中的會議將是快速反應論壇(Rapid Response Forum)的首次會議，這一新成立的組織旨在"促進決策層官員就國際市場異常情況儘快展開討論"。該論壇是G20支持的農產品市場信息系統(Agricultural Market Information System)的一部分，該系統在法國的提議下於去年成立，被視爲是對2007-08年糧食危機的關鍵應對措施。一名官員表示，鑑於美國糧食生產狀況惡化，G20成員國"支持舉行會議"。

The UN is likely to use the meeting to push for a global debate about biofuel policies, particularly asking the US, the European Union and other countries to scrap government-mandated production targets.

聯合國很可能利用本次會議之機呼籲舉行有關生物燃料政策的國際討論，特別是要求美國、歐洲以及其他國家廢除由政府指定的生物燃料生產目標。

But several factors comfort policy makers. One is that the price of rice, a key commodity in Asia, remains stable; another is that production of local African staples such as cassava has increased significantly over the past five years.

不過，有幾大因素對政策制定者來說是個安慰。其一是作爲亞洲關鍵農產品的大米的價格水平保持穩定；其二是木薯等非洲當地主食作物的產量在過去五年中顯著增長。