UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is warning the surge in global food prices risks setting back the world’s anti-poverty efforts and, if not properly handled, could hurt global growth and security. The food price surge has sharply increased the risk of hunger and poverty in developing countries and has already sparked food riots in parts of Asia and Africa. Ban Ki-moon addressed the issue at the opening of a UN trade and development conference in Ghana.

Ban Ki-moon: “If not handled properly, this crisis could trigger a cascade of others and develop into multiple crises, becoming a multidimensional problem affecting economic growth, social progress and even political security around the world.”