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Oil, food price spikes may worsen global poverty: IMF

AFP, Washington
Rocketing oil and food prices are being increasingly felt around the globe and surging commodity prices could worsen poverty in many poor countries, the International Monetary Fund warned Tuesday.
A new IMF study, looking at the impact of soaring oil and food costs, said many poor and developing countries will likely have to change their economic policies in response to soaring commodity prices.
"Some countries are at a tipping point," cautioned IMF managing director Dominique Strauss-Kahn.
"If food prices rise further and oil prices stay the same, some governments will no longer be able to feed their people and at the same time maintain stability in their econ-; omies," Strauss-Kahn said.
The IMF chief called for a "broad cooperative approach" to help tackle higher oil and food prices, and said the multilateral lender and guardian of global financial stability stood ready to assist countries in need.
Strauss-Kahn said the international community would also have to play a role in helping to lessen the impact of commodity price shocks which have triggered protests in some countries.
European truckers have blockaded major roads to protest fuel prices in recent weeks and food riots have occurred in Cameroon, Bangladesh, and Somalia among other countries in recent months.
The IMF report, which echoes food price concerns already expressed by the United Nations, showed that poorer countries are having to pay out billions of dollars more for imported oil and foodstuffs. Its findings were released as world oil prices continued to roil near record highs of around 142 dollars a barrel.
Higher energy and food costs are eating into the budgets of cash-strapped countries and could significantly dent their economic growth, Strauss-Kahn said.
"Poor countries that are highly dependent on food imports are particularly vulnerable to rising food prices," the report stated.
Poverty campaigners are concerned that rising commodity costs could roll back advances made through antipoverty campaigns in recent years, particularly because poorer families tend to spend much more of their household income on food.
The IMF report found that poor households are most affected by food price inflation and "warned that the share of undernourished (people) in developing countries could rise rapidly above the current 40 percent of total population."
Energy and food values are still rising and the IMF said its research suggests "the problem is worsening."
The Washington-based fund said it is working closely with its member countries to help mitigate inflationary pressures taking into account countries specific needs.