Global food prices have been rising steadily since 2002 and during 2007 and 2008 only, food prices rose by 52 per cent. Spiralling food prices have led, in the past few months, to global hot spots of unrest in many developing countries.

With every crisis, there is an opportunity. This is why the causes of the current crisis must be properly analysed and understood. The South must seize this opportunity to rethink concepts such as self-reliance, self-sufficiency and food sovereignty and to reflect on aspects of the global environment which have led countries to prioritise the production of food over export crops, and imports over local production, and which have affected national ownership and control over main resources for food production.