According to this article from the NYT, the recent spike in food prices sparked riots in "countries including Haiti, Egypt, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Mauritania, Ethiopia, Uzbekistan, Yemen, the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia and Italy."

As a born-and-raised Italian, I was shocked and worried, but the full spectrum of my reaction can be summed up in three parts.

    First, I felt a familiar sense of diminishing pride that is becoming so common among expatriate Italians for our nation's ever-growing ills. Note that Italy is the only 'industrialized' nation on the list.

     Second, I felt worried for my parents and extended family, most of whom still live in Italy. The idea of them being stuck between an angry mob and the corner bakery was not a pleasant one. 

     Third, I felt suspicious. This is an election year in Italy, and something as politically charged as a food riot would have definitely been exploited by the (sigh) former opposition party. Something this big would have definitely been heard by the expatriate crowd.

    Suspicious about the veracity of the claim and worried for my family's safety, I e-mailed my parents. Turns out that they were as baffled as I was to hear about these riots.

    My mom wrote this e-mail to the NYT to seek some clarification about these riots:

"Sir, I read your article on food riots and you mention Italy among a long series of developing countries. Just exactly what happened? I was very surprised, I live in Italy and have not heard of any such event. Thank you for your information. Nilde"

To which the NYT 'readerservice' replied:

"there were serious protests against a rise in the cost of pasta, based on wheat     prices."

 Just thought I'd share this bone-chilling display of journalism...