Researchers at the New England Complex Systems Institute recently released a report titled, “The Food Crisis and Political Instability in North Africa and the Middle East,” in which they show that, while there are a number of causes of political unrest and turmoil, the price of food seems to be the most relevant factor.
The report is perhaps best summed up in this revealing graph:
… all the more reason to rein in excessive commodity speculation to bring stability and lower overall prices back to commodity markets. Global political stability depends on it.