Why Italy

Pasta Strike in Italy, is it the first shot in a war against the growing use of biofuels?

Economists and producers say pasta price hikes are being driven by increasing wheat prices worldwide. The demand for wheat is the result of several trends, chiefly an increasing demand for biofuels, which can be made from wheat, and improved diets in emerging countries where putting more meat on the table is raising the demand for feed for livestock, said Francesco Bertolini, an economist at Milan's Bocconi University. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/italy_pasta_strike;_ylt=Aoh7XxQL.hfjffZv6p94WiblWMcF

Public Comments

1. I think the riots a few weeks ago in Mexico over corn flour (tortillas) was the first shot! http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/6319093.stm
2. Not likely. You might better ask "Will grain prices cause a war against meat eating?' I don't think so, in either case. And the main cause of the present increase is poor crop yields due to bad weather. So you could also ask "Will increased pasta prices cause greater pressure on governments to do more about global warming? Bottom line - blaming wheat prices on biofuels is silly. There's a better case for corn.