Global food prices rose to a fresh high in December, according to the UN's Food and Agricultural Organisation¹ (FAO).

联合国粮食与农业组织称，12月份全球食品价格达到新高。

Its Food Price Index went above the previous record of 2008 that saw prices spark riots（暴动） in several countries.

Soaring sugar, cereal（谷类） and oil prices had driven the rise, the report said.

The index, which measures monthly price changes for a food basket composed of dairy（奶制品） , meat and sugar, cereals and oilseeds, averaged 214.7 points last month, up from 206 points in November.

It stood at 213.5 points at the high of June 2008 - sparking violent protests in countries including Cameroon, Haiti and Egypt.

There were further riots over food prices in Mozambique in September last year.

However, despite high prices, FAO economist² Abdolreza Abbassian said that many of the factors that triggered food riots in 2007 and 2008 - such as weak production in poor countries - were not currently present, reducing the risk of more turmoil³.

But he added that "unpredictable weather" meant that grain prices could go much higher, which was "a concern".

'Tight situation'

The current spike⁴ in prices is being caused primarily by increases in the cost of sugar and, more importantly, cereals, according to the International Food Policy Research Institute.

The price of wheat in particular has risen sharply. This is because wildfires last year in Russia, which accounts for 11% of global exports, resulted in an export ban, the institute's director of markets, trade and institutions, Maximo Torero, told the BBC.

The recent floods in Australia, which also accounts for 11% of global exports, has compounded（混合，组成） the problem, he said.

The price of corn has also risen, because of greater support for biofuels in the US and the increased price of oil, which makes biofuels more attractive.

Droughts in Argentina, the world's second biggest exporter of corn behind the US, have also pushed the price up, Mr Torero said.

"The situation is very tight. If we have more natural disasters, we could have a problem," he said.