Though Arab countries are ruled by autocrats, bread is the main reason behind the protests that have recently engulfed certain Arab countries.

Demonstrations over the lack of bread in Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, and Jordan should come as a wake-up call to many countries on Earth.Mohamed Bouazizi, an unemployed man who set himself on fire in Tunisia, clearly felt desperate and could no not tolerate any more misery.It is true that there is mismanagement in poor countries and vast amounts of money are either wasted or stolen, but our world is overpopulated and still growing rapidly and this threatens both our lives and the life of our home planet.The Earth is already under extreme pressure to feed this population and create jobs for them. Water resources, rivers, and lakes are gradually being dried up or polluted, and more arable land, farmlands, and forests are being turned into roads, residential areas, or industrial complexes.In addition, global warming and droughts have affected crop production throughout the world.Droughts and floods are the main reasons that food prices have hit record highs, resulting in a rising cost of living and protests such as the ones in poor Arab countries.Since prevention is easier than treatment, poor countries must make efforts to control their populations and assistance to poor countries should be strictly conditioned on sound management, financial transparency, and family planning.The more we delay starting serious efforts to tackle poverty, the more struggles for food and self-immolations, like Bouazizi’s desperate act, we will see.