Six casualties

"Sugar is also a source of crime and corruption: unscrupulous dealers smuggle it across the border into Afghanistan, where it fetches a higher price. And since the 1980s, some of the country's largest sugar mills have been in the hands of powerful politicians, who have earned a fortune."

From the guardian on the soaring prices of food worldwide. But what's this with tomatoes in the Middle East? Yes he price of tomatoes has increase tremendously, but I wonder why are we acting as if the whole of the Levantine traditional kitchen relied on it. In a sense, the modernized kitchen does, but two centuries ago, no one used tomatoes in this region. Its use only became widespread about a hundred years ago. Talk about a major dietary change! But then again, the article uses the usurping entity as an example, and the usurping entity has no traditions. It was only borne yesterday, and will be gone soon. 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/oct/25/food-prices-crisis-staple-foods