危及數百萬人生活的糧食危機是會緩和還是隨時間流逝愈演愈烈？答案可能是兩者皆是。最近糧食價格的上漲主要是由像澳大利亞、烏克蘭等國家的乾旱這些暫時原因造成的。雖然現在急需大規模的營救工作，但最終時下的這種嚴重危機將結束。然而現象之後是一個根本性的問題，除非我們有所意識並試圖解決，否則這個問題只會加劇。
這是個“雙人記”。這個故事的一個版本是：一個有著很多貧困人口的國家突然經歷快速的經濟成長；但只有一半人享受到了繁榮。享受到繁榮的人將他們新增的收入花費在食品上。除非食品供應快速增加，否則價格就會暴漲。而另一半人則會面對更高的食品價格，收入卻沒有增加，他們就開始挨餓。這樣的悲劇在世界上不斷地重複。
the rich get hungrier
will the food crisis that is menacing the lives of millions ease up — or grow worse over time? the answer may be both. the recent rise in food prices has largely been caused by temporary problems like drought in australia, ukraine and elsewhere. though the need for huge rescue operations is urgent, the present acute crisis will eventually end. but underlying it is a basic problem that will only intensify unless we recognize it and try to remedy it.
it is a tale of two peoples. in one version of the story, a country with a lot of poor people suddenly experiences fast economic expansion, but only half of the people share in the new prosperity. the favored ones spend a lot of their new income on food, and unless supply expands very quickly, prices shoot up. the rest of the poor now face higher food prices but no greater income, and begin to starve. tragedies like this happen repeatedly in the world.