Food prices hit new record highs, says UN food agency

This, plus the price of oil = well, you decide.

If we in North America really wanted to be jerks we could just make demands. If OPEC can't increase production, we'll impose a food embargo.

More trouble than it's worth.

You'd be hurting the countries with no oil, not Opec. And if Opec retalitates with an oil embargo, you won't be growing much food either, since agriculture is so dependent on oil.

The ME countries already have huge farms operating in Eastern Sudan, producing food
for the Arab countries.

The East, mind you, not the Western part where they have famine and UN drops
and ethnic cleansing and all the rest.
Eastern Sudan is swimming in food, but none of it makes it to it's people.

I don't think anyone wants to be jerks. Just saying that if we wanted to be jerks it's well within our capability. We export a lot of food.