Look no further than your local supermarket or gas station: the price of food and oil is through the roof. According to the USDA, shoppers are paying more than seven percent more than they were last year for their groceries. In developing countries, it’s even worse. The UN says thirty-seven nations are in urgent need of food, but can't afford it, triggering fears of food riots like those that rocked Tunisia, Egypt, Haiti, and Syria. But while food prices soar, so do Wall Street’s profits. WorldAffairs host Ray Suarez talks with Rupert Russell about his new book and film, “Price Wars: How the Commodities Markets Made Our Chaotic World.” He introduces us to people whose lives have been upended by skyrocketing food and gas prices around the world and explains how the global financial system drives famine, conflict, and crisis.
Listen to NPR's World Affairs Radio interview with Rupert here.