Daciana Octavia Sârbu (S&D). – (RO) Madam President, rising food prices hit the most vulnerable population groups. Against a background where, in 2010, the number of undernourished people in the world reached 925 million, providing food security must become a priority for the European Union. Extreme natural phenomena are not the only cause of rising food prices, but the volatility of the markets and the subsidy on biogas production also play a role.

I call on the Commission to create instruments to combat price volatility and excessive speculation, which in turn help exacerbate the global food crisis. I must also stress that, in most cases, the rise in food prices does not result either in an increase in farmers’ incomes. On the contrary, due to the poor operation of the supply chain, the remuneration received by farmers is far from fair. I believe that the problem of rising prices helps dismantle the arguments against maintaining a strong common agricultural policy.