Nouriel Roubini: Rise in food and commodity prices a risk to stability

(CNN) -- Rapidly rising oil, energy and food prices pose a serious threat to global stability, leading U.S. economist Nouriel Roubini has warned.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum's 2011 annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, Roubini said the global economy was a "glass half-full and a glass half-empty", with some signs of recovery.

But he told CNNMoney.com there were still "many things that could go wrong" in the coming year.

Asked to pick what he considered the biggest new threat, Roubini -- who earned himself the nickname "Dr Doom" for his pessimistic predictions during the economic crisis -- highlighted the large increase in commodity prices.

He said the rapid rise "could be a source of political instability, not only economic and financial fragility."

"What has happened in Tunisia and is happening right now in Egypt, but also the riots in Morocco, Algeria, Pakistan are related not only to high unemployment rates and to income and wealth inequality, but also to the very sharp rise in food and commodity prices.".....read on