With food security back at the top of the political agenda, and Oxfam warning that maize prices will more than double in 20 years' time, East African countries are taking steps to ensure that lack of supplies and higher prices do not stir up further political unrest. Tanzania said it has now stopped exports to dampen rising prices of staple foodstuffs, which have pushed up inflation over the past six months, and are threatening to rival spikes last seen in 2008. "Our fear is that we still haven't seen the worst of food inflation in vulnerable countries. Rising food prices bring hardship and you can't rule out the possibility of further food riots," commented FAO senior economist Abdolreza Abbassian.
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