Biofuels a factor as global food riots spread to Haiti

The diversion of food crops to biofuel production was a significant factor contributing to global food prices rocketing by 83% in the last year, and causing violent conflicts in Haiti and other parts of the world. Haiti was rocked by violent protests this week, leaving 5 dead, hundreds injured and resulting in parliament passing a vote of no confidence against Prime Minister Jacques-Edouard Alexis for failing to take enough action on high food prices. And food related civil unrest appears to be a growing, according to a study by the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), which warned that food riots have also taken place in Egypt, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Mauritania, Madagascar and the Philippines in the past month.