The rapid rise in global food and energy prices has created political and economic stress all over South Asia with serious strategic implications for India, Pakistan, and the region at large. The energy crisis is the most immediate. With oil hovering around $120 a barrel, developing nations with high energy demands like India and Pakistan are particularly vulnerable. The food crisis, on the other hand, is more systemic. While rising energy costs have exacerbated inflation and commodity prices, the shortage of food in India and Pakistan reflects a more endemic need to deal with a lagging agricultural sector.
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