Food prices have shown a sustained increase for the first time in decades. Cereal prices, in particular, have more than doubled since 2006, with more than half of that increase having taken place in 2008 alone. This sustained increase in prices has put agricultural policy at the centre of discussions in Europe and the rest of the world. Many have called for more protective measures and maintenance of support for farmers. Notably, France’s farm minister, Michel Barnier, has argued for every region in the world to have its own common agricultural policy (CAP) and for the EU to operate a policy of ‘European preference’ in order to secure food supplies.

But food security does not mean self-sufficiency. In a world of global scarcity, we need to make the best use of land and other resources. This implies producing where it is most efficient to do so, and liberalising trade so that accurate price signals can be sent worldwide and products reach markets. Global integration, and not regionalism, is the way to make the most from scarce resources.

Indhira Santos the co-author of 'The new food equation: do EU policies add up?', published by Bruegel in July 2008.