Background: 联合国秘书长潘基文呼吁采取紧急行动来对付全球高昂食品价格问题，他在今年六月罗马高峰会议上呼吁采取措施来解决食品这一国际贸易问题。

A number of countries have responded to the high cost of food by imposing export restrictions 出口限制, or even bans, or by seeking to control prices.

The UN Secretary General said such measures only distort markets 扭曲/误导市场 and force prices even higher. These policies are generally intended to divert supplies 改变供应路线 to local markets and to alleviate price rises for local consumers.

Many observers see them as understandable but ultimately counter-productive 事倍功半 because if farmers do not get the full benefit of increased prices, the incentive 动力 for them to increase production is weakened.

Those incentives are sure to be a key element in the global response to the current food problem. Already, the prices of many food crops 粮食作物 - although still high - have come down from their peaks 高峰期 in the expectation of substantial supply increases 实质性地增加供应 for some crops in the coming season.

The shape of the global food business is also affected by government subsidies, 政府补贴 notably in the United States and Europe.

Cuts in those subsidies are a key part of global negotiations 全球磋商 underway in the World Trade Organisation 世界贸易组织, and Mr Ban called for a rapid resolution of those talks.

But even if the talks do end soon, and there has been some sign of progress at WTO headquarters in recent weeks, the significance of subsidy cuts 削减补贴would be longer term.

Lower subsidies in the rich countries world might make it a little easier for less subsidised farmers to compete and develop the capacity to feed their own countries.

Many developing countries 发展中国家, including most in Africa, do not currently produce enough to meet their own needs.