Higher food prices here to stay: analysts

A "perfect storm" of bad weather, rapid growth in emerging economies - with people eating more higher-value, resource-intense food - and low interest rates has sent prices for a broad range of farm and non-farm commodities climbing often at double-digit rates: from wheat to corn, cotton to rubber, and oil to boot.

"What is going on now is more broadbased... It's not led by grains... And it's widespread, and feeding into political worries, not just in the Middle East," said Chris Delgado, an agriculture specialist at the World Bank.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization said food prices have reached their highest level since it began measuring them in 1990, and pointed to the political problems that can spark.

"Not only is there a risk, but there have already been riots in some parts of the world because of rising prices," FOA chief Jacques Diouf said.

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