All indications are that the current surge in food and fuel prices are the result of distorted policies that powerful, rich nations have imposed on the world even as realities of the day point to the need for change.

Developing countries, especially in Africa, are having to confront a problem they have not capacity to handle in the medium term.

The reality is that with crude oil prices having risen to historic highs, production of food crops is becoming increasingly difficult.

The world is simply torn between meeting the needs of a global economy that guzzles enormous amounts of energy and the need to protect the global population from hunger.

It is clear that alternative sources of fuel have to be found to protect the global economy from exposure to manipulations of prices in oil markets. As things stand today, the likelihood of oil prices rising to outrageous levels cannot be ruled out.

Rising demand for oil and global politics surrounding exploitation of natural resources has forced the West to re-think their energy policies with the focus turning mainly to the search for alternatives to oil. In South America, Brazil is already leading the way with its biodiesel plan.

The US is also increasingly using corn to produce fuel, a development that is being blamed for the global food crisis. It is increasingly becoming clear that a re-think of energy sources and the search for alternatives has kicked off intense competition for 'food' between machines and human beings.

As large swathes of land are dedicated to the production of crops for fuel, food production is increasingly coming under siege.

Besides this competition for space, poor agricultural policies adopted by the developed world, including outrageous subsidies that lock out agricultural produce from the developing world are to blame for stagnation in output worldwide.

Coupled with rampant political disorganization, the developing world has been unable to produce food even to feed itself let alone sell to rest of the world.

The world has no choice but to look for alternative source of fuel to avoid the risks surrounding ongoing over-reliance on oil.

The important thing is that any move to break this over reliance on oil should not be at the expense of food. This is because any severe shortage of food is likely to harm poor people most.

Plants like jatropha that are not consumed by human beings and do well semi-arid parts of Africa and Asia can produce reasonable amounts of fuel to warrant research and huge investments.

Food insecurity in the world is likely to be a major source of instability especially in third world countries more so those in Africa.

There is need for a strong intelligent redress before it is too late.