I f If there is one topic that has been catching a lot of attention lately, it is the global rise in prices for resources, especially the most precious resource of all: food.

While gas prices may force drivers to reduce their time behind the wheel, rising food prices really hurt.

Already, riots have occurred from Haiti to Bangladesh due to the lack of such staples as rice and corn. Japan is not entirely exempt from the trend either, considering it produces less than 40 percent of the food it consumes. The Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry issued a white paper last month warning that due to rising demand overseas, Japan is prone to food shortages.