High prices have created a public outcry — from tortilla riots in Mexico to protests over grain prices in parts of Africa.

Last year, more than 25,000 Indian farmers committed suicide.

In Iran, food prices climbed 50 percent in September alone.

Pakistan is stockpiling wheat and its military guards the flour mills.

And, Malaysia forbids people from taking sugar, flour or cooking oil out of the country.

Worldfocus producers traveled to Argentina, India, Kenya and Ukraine and reported on the causes and effects of rising food prices.

The government responded to the increases in food prices by restricting grain exports [PDF]. But the current food crisis in Ukraine — a country known as the breadbasket of Europe and the black-earth belt — presents challenges and opportunities. The cost of staple items like bread, eggs and vegetables increased by 20 to 70 percent.

High global prices and demand for grain result in reduced local supply, and therefore higher prices. Private investors are also lining up to buy and develop Ukrainian land, despite a legislative moratorium that prevents the sale of land.

Dave Marash reports from Kiev on Ukraine’s potential to open up land to private investors, feed the world and support its domestic economy.

On Friday, Argentina’s farmers declared a six-day strike, demanding government action in reducing export taxes. Riots and protests over export prices, however, are not new.

Last March, thousands of farmers went on a 128-day strike when President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner raised taxes on soy and cereals to encourage farmers to sell more food at home, stabilizing domestic food prices. The export tax hike – with some taxes as high as 50 percent — was ultimately killed, sending food prices back up again.

Producers Bryan Myers and Megan Thompson and correspondent Edie Magnus report on the food crisis from the grocery aisle to the countryside in Buenos Aires.

Over the last year, the prices of rice and lentils — staples of the Indian diet — have risen by about 20 percent each. In August, one state government asked citizens to begin eating rats instead of rice. And, earlier this year, the Indian government banned the export of rice (except basmati).

India’s annual rate of inflation hovers at 12 percent, compared to 3.51 percent this time last year.

But nature has also played a role in the food crisis. Last month’s floods in eastern India led villagers in the Orissa state to riot and loot relief supplies.

Lack of access to food and to improper feeding practices contribute to the malnourishment of 60 million underweight children.

Worldfocus producers Mary Lockhart and Ara Ayer and correspondent Daljit Dhaliwal report on the food crisis from the slums to high-rise buildings outside of Delhi.

A fruit seller in Kenya. Source: IRIN

As officials from 53 countries meet to discuss the world’s food and fuel crises, African nations continue to be some of the hardest-hit by rising prices. Kenya’s food insecurity has impacted approximately 4 million people.

Blogger “linlilinnptoe” outlines staples of the Kenyan diet that are now threatened.

“Bunge la Mwananchi,” a Kenyan grassroots organization, writes on their Web site about the connection between government corruption and high food prices, demanding that the government ensure sufficient food for all Kenyans.

Responding to an article in The Standard, the “Africa Expat Wives Club” blog claims that the cycle of poverty in Kenya is due to a culture of handouts.

The World Bank’s “Africa Can…” blog details the effect of the recent financial downturn on the African economy and predicts continuing struggles.

Finally, a blogger at “Novakeo” discusses the origins of the food crisis and argues that world leaders should rethink the current mechanism for world development.