UN says soaring price of basic foods such as rice and cereals could affect around 100 million of world's poorest people

Global rice stocks have halved since hitting a record high in 2001 while demand is continuing to rise

In Asia rice prices have almost tripled this year alone

Financial speculators, rising populations, floods, droughts, increased demand from developing countries, and removing crops from the food chain to produce biofuels have been cited as factors

Price rises have led producing nations to enforce export restrictions, further putting the squeeze on supply, especially in countries relying on imports